


Supersaviour

by MarshmallowYatt



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-30
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-02-23 06:25:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 73,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2537546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshmallowYatt/pseuds/MarshmallowYatt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Superhero!AU. Emma is a renegade with a superpower. One of her cases makes her confront her past and doesn't go as expected. Multi-chapter. Eventual Captain Swan</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Human Lie Detector

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Vekin87, the first person, whose fanfics inspired me to write my own.  
> Now, I have never read a graphic novel (although I am itching to get my hands on "Fables") so all I know about superheroes and superpowers comes from Marvel movie marathons.  
> This story is a Captain Swan!Superhero multi-chapter AU. And it is my first story that’s over two chapters long so please be patient with me.  
> Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT, any superheroes or anything else you may recognise.

**_11/27/2013 New York Post: How to Become a Human Lie Detector, From Our Readers_ **

_1) Face touching - particularly be mindful of a person rubbing their nose;_

_2) Any sort of fidgeting - playing with hair or jewelry usually indicates that a person is hiding something_

_3) Eye movements - it is particularly telling if a person keeps looking to their left._

_Continued on page 4..._

 

Emma Swan was sitting at a bar, nursing a well-deserved glass of Jack Daniel's, a newspaper lying in front of her. Another case solved, another payment wired onto her account. The haul was pretty good, for a client from Brooklyn whose deadbeat husband ran out on her, taking their two small children with him. Emma smirked to herself. Horny men were the easiest sources of her income. 

This particular one was not hard to find. She didn't even have to rely much on technology, which earned groans from her "tech support girl". Emma's powers were enough. After only three days, the man was in jail, awaiting trial, and his now ex-wife and kids were safe from his gluttonous endeavours. Smiling with satisfaction at being paid with the asshole's own money, she took another sip. 

The newspaper article in front of her seemed to be mocking her. She knew very well who the author was. Her friend Sydney Glass had a very strange sense of humour. Luckily enough, one of the many advantages of Emma's powers was that she was always able to mask when she herself was lying. Therefore, any readers of Sydney's article would not be able to tell her secret identity even if they bumped into her when she was working. 

During the day, Emma Swan was an officer at one of the NYPD precincts in the West Village. Her responsibilities were mostly restricted to the file room and supervising the interns. She sometimes got funny looks because of the way she abused the precinct's coffee machine. The delicious fluid was, however, a basic necessity for Emma Swan. Or, as she was known during the night, the Saviour. 

 

Ever since she was a little girl, Emma has been able to muster perfectly innocent expressions which caused the adults to melt and let her off the hook for any "misdeeds", such as beating up a date rapist during her junior year of high school, whose parents were rich corrupt lawyers and ensured that he would get off scot-free. Nobody at Storybrooke High believed the young victim who was constantly bullied and almost ended up dropping out of school. Emma, however, knew that she wasn't lying. She didn't understand it at the time, but somehow she knew that understanding when other people lied wasn't very common. 

Being adopted was already enough to make her unpopular, but that particular skill, coupled with youthful idealism and a desire to do the right thing only contributed further to Emma's alienation and certainly did not win her any friends or favours with the staff. During October junior year, Emma's talents helped her discover that Principal Mills has been stealing the money from the school fund to redevelop her lavish estate. The teenager's naivete brought her to Mills' office. 

"I know that you've been stealing, Principal Mills. And you h-have to come clean! I'll g-go to the police if you don't" - Emma said, sounding a lot braver than she felt. 

Emma would remember Principal Mills' sneer and words that followed for the rest of her life. 

"Well well, Miss Swan. Playing a little detective have we? Well let me tell you a little secret. Nobody is going to believe a little girl like you. Especially not if you're saying such foul things about me. You are expelled from Storybrooke High, Miss Swan, starting imemdiately." 

The expulsion was first of many experiences that led Emma to a realisation that people sucked. At sixteen, however, she was not yet completely broken. However, the fact that she was expelled from yet another school caused the worst fight with her adopted parents. Words were screamed, tears were shed, and Emma ran away. She hopped onto the first Greyhound bus which brought her to Portland, Oregon. She soon realised, however, that she did not think things through. The little money she brought with her ran out fast. Since she had no work experience, nobody would hire her. She didn't have any friends or family in Oregon. So she had to do what she had to do to survive. 

Emma has nearly been caught several times stealing food from the supermarkets and knew that she needed to get creative. Besides, the weather was not kind to those who slept on park benches. She remembered a movie she saw a few months ago which clearly demonstrated how grand theft auto was performed. 

Emma's target was a yellow Bug that she'd walked past every day. As far as she could tell, it was abandoned. 

"Well, no harm no foul", she thought and hot-wired it. 

"You could have just asked me for the keys" - a voice at the back startled her. A young man who looked like he hasn't showered in days slid onto the front seat.

"Neal Cassidy" - he held out his hand. 

"Emma. Swan" - she replied. 


	2. Source of Income

"You're overpaying me" - Ruby chuckled after she saw the cheque Emma wrote for her the next day. 

"I don't believe in overpaying" - was Emma's curt reply. - "Besides, I am your only source of income and you need money to take your girl on dates". 

"That I do. That I do" - Ruby nodded, thanked Emma once again and switched off the tech equipment. "Good night, Emma" - she said and exited the apartment. 

 

Emma has known Ruby for a few years now. For the first few months as a renegade, she relied strictly on her own lie detector superpower. That changed, however, when she was hired to expose a corrupt politician named Anita Lucas whose lackeys conducted illegal experiments on victims of lupus who lived in poverty. Emma didn't find out until later that the person who hired her was none other than Anita's daughter Ruby who wanted to do the right thing. Ruby's hacking skills have proven to be invaluable in that case, and that was the only time Emma wasn't paid for a job. 

 

"Consider it an investment, Saviour" - the young woman told her. And Emma accepted. Emma's power, coupled with her determination to survive and want for nothing, were a strange match for Ruby Lucas' code-cracking and hacking abilities and her desire to right wrongs. However, while money wasn't an unwelcome aspect of the job - quite the opposite in fact - Emma hated when innocent people suffered at the hands of corrupt institutions or asshole-ish exes. The system wasn't fair, Emma knew that better than anyone. Whether one was a victim of an abusive relationship or planted evidence, Emma Swan saw to it that no matter how convincingly charming the guilty party presented themselves, they would not get away with their misdeeds. She always stayed away from the limelight though because she couldn't afford exposure. Confidentiality is vital in the superhero business.

 

Not that Emma ever saw herself as a superhero. She was a survivor, and she was damn good at it. Superheroes didn't blackmail their subjects for money, which was Emma's specialty. She liked living comfortably and in her book, the assholes who she was hired to expose deserved to be parted with their fortunes. While there was no such thing as a typical case for the Saviour, her exchanges with her subjects usually went something like this: 

Emma: "So here's how it's gonna go, buddy. I know what you really are and what you did. See, I have a gift - I can see through every single lie you've ever told. I know everything. So if you don't want to spend the rest of your days in a maximum security prison, because believe me, that's what you're gonna get after I submit the evidence, pay up. I want $28,000 by the end of the week, or your days of breathing fresh air and enjoying your little trips are over." 

 

Naturally, once Emma received the payment (and she did most of the time, since most of the criminals were fairly well-off), she split the money between the victims and herself, as fairly as she could. However, the Saviour never stopped there. Random evidence would start popping up all over the place. It wasn't always enough to convict, of course - $28,000 were a very small part of some people's fortunes and many law enforcement professionals were in their pockets. But Emma Swan knew that the victims would never be ungrateful for the money. It was a consolation, however big or small they considered it to be. 

 

Tap, tap, tap. A white dove tapped on the window of Emma's apartment, stopping her train of thought. She opened the window, curious as to why Ruby was mailing her, instead of wining and dining with Belle. 

Emma and Ruby both knew that technology left traces every time it was used in any way. The doves were Belle's idea. Ruby's girlfriend was a hopeless romantic but her determination to help people and her knowledge of communications channels were a welcome addition to their little team. Both Belle and Sidney Glass were journalists, but Belle was also an avid reader and loved picking up tips from storybook heroes. 

 

Emma unwrapped a small piece of paper tied to the dove's leg, stroking his feathers lightly. Ruby's message, while coded, was abundantly clear. Emma Swan had a new case to solve. And it appeared that she was heading to a peculiarly-named town in Maine - Storybrooke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of CS guys, but we'll meet Killian in the next chapter!


	3. Writer's Block

 

_A few days earlier_

For as long as he could remember, Killian Jones was a loner. True, he had his crew of editors and agents that came and went, but the few things they knew about him related to his writing only. They mostly cared about him making the deadlines and actually showing up for his own book signing events. The crew had no trouble making profit from his books - the crowds of men and women at the signings were a testament to Jones' superb way with words and his ability to engage an audience with a short attention span that was so common in today's world of consumerism. The Jolly Roger publishing house was thrilled at the fact that they finally had a good writer to work with. But that was as much as they knew about him. That and the fact that he wasn't averse to an occasional drink, but what good writer was? 

His latest series of romantic thrillers was a particular success. Hell, he got a six figures advance on the fifth book! However, in the last few weeks, he has encountered an obstacle which unfortunately is the bane of many writers at one point. 

Writer's block. 

"Dammit, Killian!" - his editor's voice was yelling at him over the phone. - "The deadline is next week and you haven't written a single paragraph! You know Pan hates it when people miss the deadlines! Remember how he tossed out Felix after he submitted a chapter one day late? And that guy was with the Jolly Roger for five years!" 

Killian sighed. 

"I'm working on it, Smee. Just give me a few days alright?"

He could hear Smee's exasperated sigh. 

"Fine. Just don't let me down, okay? It's not just your bloody arse on the line!" 

"Goodbye, Smee." - Killian said, hanging up and running his hand through his hair. He really needed that drink right about now. 

The truth was that Killian Jones wasn't lazy. He loved being a writer and he has always been very good with words. Writer's block was not something he was particularly unfamiliar with, but on this occasion, it was the last thing he needed. Smee was right about one thing - it wasn't just Killian's arse on the line. And it wasn't just Smee's either. 

He needed to beat the writer's block. It was time to bring Muhammad to the Mountain. And if the mountain was a tiny town in New England, he had to get on the plane ASAP. 

 

 

Emma Swan did not like flying. Not because she had a problem with heights, but because she generally did not like being around a large amount of people. Being able to tell when a person was lying wasn't a pleasant gift to have when one is stuck in a small space with a bunch of individuals with their own separate lives. It was a good thing Ruby and Belle were sat on either side of her, thereby preventing her from accidentally catching someone across the aisle in a lie. She felt a little bad separating the two girls, but not for long. 

"So how do you wanna proceed?" - Ruby whispered into her left ear. 

"What with the case?"

"Yeah"

Emma pondered for a second. 

"You said Booth himself gave you the tipoff right?" 

Ruby nodded. "He said that he knows everyone in town but he's never seen this guy before. Sheriff Nolan can't get any proof that the dude is up to something, but Booth knows that he is. And he needs your help to prove it."

"Did Booth tell you what he knows about him?"

Ruby shrugged. "Not really. You know how Booth is." 

Emma did know. After all, August Wayne Booth was her mentor. One of the first lessons he taught her was not to rely on the information others gave her. He always said that her superpower was not something to be afraid of, but a great gift. And that gift was to be used to its full advantage. 

Ruby took a picture of their suspect out of her purse. Emma squinted, trying to figure out the blue-eyed man on the photo. 

"Anything?" - Ruby whispered. Emma shook her head. 

"I'd need to meet him in person to proceed."  
Ruby chuckled. 

"You know I could just run his photo through a bunch of databases and get you the info." 

"Darling, you know Emma likes to keep things authentic" - a soft voice from her right startled Emma. 

"Belle! I thought you were sleeping!" - Emma whispered. The brown-haired girl smiled. 

"Nope. Just day-dreaming." Emma nodded. 

"You're right, Belle. Ruby you know I appreciate your skills but I also know that technology can easily be fooled. Remember the Zelant case?" - she whispered the last part into Ruby's ear. Ruby's eyes widened and she nodded fervently. That case has nearly cost Ruby and Belle their lives and put Emma through a year-long spiral of self-destruction. All because of Zelant's ability to fool any technology in the world. Since then, Emma did not rely on technology unless and until it was proven that her superpower was not enough. 

"Anyway", Belle continued, "if this man is indeed up to what Booth thinks he's up to, he is going to try and fool you, Emma. Do you have a plan?" 

Emma bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. 

"Belle, do I ever?" 

Belle shrugged with a smile. 

"You are not gonna listen to my suggestion of conducting proper hands-on research prior to actually meeting him are you?" 

"See above" - Emma replied cheekily. 

The plane landed soon after the conversation died out. Not willing to draw attention to themselves, the girls checked themselves into a hotel just outside Belfast, Maine. Emma placed the photo of the suspect onto the bedside table. 

"Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow, Dr Victor Whale" - she whispered before falling asleep. 

 


	4. Storybrooke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter is rather dark at the beginning. Still don't own anything.

_It was past 9 o'clock now, according to the fancy watch on Emma's wrist. She furrowed her eyebrows. Neal was late. She stepped out of the car, looking around the empty parking lot. Suddenly, a man in a police uniform appeared in front of her, pointing a gun._

_"Hands in the air!" - he commanded. Emma was flabbergasted but obeyed._

_"What, why?" - the fear was evident in her trembling voice._

_"Your boy's skipped the country, but he gave us a tip on where to find you" - the officer replied, placing handcuffs on Emma's wrists and leading her towards his car. That was the moment Emma's fragile idea of a home shattered. She could tell that the officer wasn't lying, which meant that Neal Cassidy betrayed her. Tears were pouring down her face from underneath her glasses. The officer next to her was kind enough to dab at her face with a tissue, but she could barely feel his presence._

 

_"He left you, Swan."_

 

_"He left like everybody else does."_

 

_"You are worthless."_

 

_"Even a lowlife thief didn't want you."_

 

_"You will never amount to anything."_

 

_"You are nothing, Emma Swan."_

 

_" **You are nothing**." _

 

_Emma didn't have the strength to tell the voice in her head, that sounded suspiciously like Principal Mills', to shut up. She let the darkness consume her. The dark hole in her chest was swallowing her. She could barely remember how she ended up in a jail cell. Not that it mattered. She had no-one. She was only fooling herself with the thought that anybody could ever want her. She was a freak. An unlovable freak._

_Handcuffs were taken off of her when she was in the cell. She placed her head in her hands and sobbed. She could barely hear the drunk in the cell next to her yelling at her to shut up. The shock of Neal's betrayal has faded by now._

_"You should have known that he'd leave you. Everybody leaves you."_

_Yes they do, Emma thought. Nobody would miss me. I am nothing but a freak. There's no place for me here._

_She looked around the cell for anything sharp to end her miserable existence. Upon not finding anything suitable, she fell back onto the cot and cried._

_A young officer brought her dinner a few minutes later. Emma didn't notice. She ignored him when he asked if she needed anything. A plan was forming in her head._

_She ripped the sheets off the cot and knotted them together, tying them around her neck..._

 

 

"Emma! Emma, wake up!" - she heard a muffled voice and felt a hand on her wrist. 

"Emma, it's alright, wake up!" - she gasped and opened her eyes. Ruby's and Belle's concerned faces were looming above her. Ruby was holding both of her wrists tightly. 

"Huh? What?" - Emma was still disoriented.  _I was in jail a few minutes ago_?

"You must've had a nightmare" - Belle's comforting voice felt like it was much further away. Emma squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. 

"Why.. why are you holding my wrists?" 

Ruby hesitated. 

"You.. well, you had your hands on your throat. I was worried you might choke yourself or something?" - Ruby blinked uncertainly. "Do you... do you want to talk about it?" 

Emma shook her head and shrugged Ruby's hands off. 

"No. It's fine. Thanks for waking me up" - she had no desire to dwell on the dark moments of her past. Belle bent down and kissed her temple gently. Emma tried not to flinch at the affectionate gesture. 

"It was the jail again wasn't it?" - Belle asked softly. Emma sighed and nodded resignedly. 

"Just before Booth showed up. Can we.. can we not talk about it please? I want to get started on the case". 

"Of course, sweetie. Come on, I got us some cocoa" - Ruby offered kindly. Emma nodded and swung her legs off the bed, the memory of her... dream still fresh in her mind. Not willing to think about it any further, she took a paper cup with the sweet and slightly spiced liquid from Ruby's outstretched hand. 

"Thanks, Ruby."  she said gratefully, taking a sip. Rolling her eyes at the girls' anxious expressions, she finished it quickly and stood up. 

"Guys, I'm fine, really! If you've already eaten, let's go to Storybrooke and meet this Dr. Whale dude." - Emma threw on her jeans, a white sweater and, grabbing her leather jacket, left the hotel room, Ruby and Belle following her. Apparently they already had the time to get dressed before she started re-enacting her past in her sleep. 

Emma had the strangest feeling in her gut when she drove through Maine. It was telling her that this was going to be an unusual case. Not that her cases were ever boring - well, to other people's standards - she herself saw every political dirtbag, every deadbeat husband as just another way for her to survive and stop those people from hurting anybody else. There was something different about whatever awaited her at Storybrooke, Maine. And the worst thing was, she could not tell whether it was a good or a bad kind of different. 

Allowing herself a brief smile at Ruby and Belle snuggling at the back seat, she slowed down as she approached a green sign that stated "Welcome to Storybrooke". 

"Ladies, I think we're here!" - she called out to the girls who broke apart, blushing. 

"Shall we try and find the hospital where Whale works?" - Ruby offered, but Emma shook her head. 

"Booth said that he usually hangs out at some diner on Saturdays until midday, so we should probably try and find that diner."  
"Well it's not a very big town" - Belle supplied - "so there can't be that many diners. And it would have to be pretty close to a hospital wouldn't it?" 

Emma nodded. "Good thinking. Now, you two be on the lookout for a diner while I drive."

It didn't take them long to find a green diner called "Granny's" that looked very homey. Emma parked her car outside and turned towards Ruby and Belle. 

"Now do you two remember what Whale looks like?" They nodded. 

"Good. Remember, I'll do the talking, you two just act casual."

"We know, Saviour" - Ruby laughed. "We've done this before with you, you know."

"Don't mention the "S"-word, guys!" - Emma whispered. - "And I know. But this case... it just feels strange." 

"You'll solve it, Emma" - Belle encouraged her. - "You always do!"

"Let's hope you're right" - Emma replied and got out of the car. Ruby and Belle followed her into the diner. 

Sure enough, the pale blond man from Emma's photograph was sitting at the bar, nursing a glass filled with an amber-coloured liquid. Ruby frowned. 

"Early bird, isn't he?" 

Emma felt the corner of her mouth turn up. Drunk people made her job easy. The girls took seats at the bar and ordered a scotch for Emma and two coffees for Ruby and Belle. Emma shared a look with Ruby, lifting her glass slightly. The brunette nodded, understanding that she was going to drive them back. She was used to Emma using alcohol in her investigations. 

When Emma's drink arrived, she thanked the elderly woman behind the bar and brought the glass to her mouth. The liquid touched her lips but she didn't take a sip. She squinted. As expected, she could spot the blond man staring at her at the reflection in the glass. She flipped her hair and saw the smirk appear on the man's face. She set the glass down onto the bar and turned around. The man was no longer watching her but drinking his scotch. 

"Bit early for a drink isn't it?" - Emma adopted a flirty curious expression and Ruby could hear her voice being higher than usual. 

The blond shrugged. "Is it really? I haven't noticed." 

_100 &% Truth. _

Emma chuckled. "You must be so busy then!" 

"You could say that."

"What is it that you do?" 

He set his glass down and turned in his chair to face Emma. 

"I'm a surgeon at the local hospital. Victor Whale" - he held out his hand. 

_100% truth._

"Emma" - she took his hand and shook, smiling. - "Oh wow, a surgeon, that's pretty heroic of you! You must save lives on, like, a daily basis!" 

Emma hated that part of her job. She was good at pretending to be interested, but Ruby was the one who actually enjoyed flirting. At least she has, until she and Belle had gotten together. 

Whale winked at her. "Why yes, Emma, I do."

_50/50. Omission. He saves lives on a daily basis but he also doesn't. Hmmm._

Emma pretended to be impressed by raising her eyebrows and gasping softly. 

"That's really amazing, Victor! Is that what you were doing last night? Did you save a life?" 

The man smirked. "Yes. Yes I did."

_100% lie. Gotcha._

"Who was it?" - Emma asked eagerly. 

Victor hesitated. "It was.. a writer. Yes, they told me he was a writer."

_80% lie. He didn't save anyone. But he did see a writer last night._

Emma made a mental note to look into Victor Whale's circle of friends and family and to dig deeper if any of them turned out to be writers. 

"And what is it that you do, Emma?" - Victor asked, leaning closer. Emma smiled and winked. 

"Let's just say I am taking the time to see the world. Storybrooke's name randomly popped out when I was poking at the map with my eyes closed, and it looked like fun, so... here I am!" - she added a giggle at the end. Victor raised his eyebrows. 

"Well I am sorry to cut this short because I have a shift at the hospital in ten, but I would love to show you around the town, Emma?" - he offered. 

_100% truth._

Emma beamed. "I would love that! Will you still be here tomorrow? I can come early and we can take off?" 

Victor nodded. "I'll see you at 9.30? Or is that too early? My shift tomorrow isn't until late in the evening, so I'm free all day."

"9.30 is perfect!" - Emma grinned. - "Have a nice day, Victor" - she held out her hand, and he brought it to his lips. 

"I look forward to tomorrow" - he said softly, kissing her hand and exiting the diner. 

_He actually is. Sleaze._

"So?" - Ruby took the doctor's seat as soon as he left. - "What did you find?" 

"He is definitely hiding something. Something to do with writers? Belle, it's time for you to put on your research gloves. Find out what you can about Whale's friends and whether he knows any writers, and how. Ruby, you do your techy thing and download the hospital records. He wasn't telling the complete truth about "saving lives on a daily basis" and I wanna know why." 

"What are you gonna do?" - Ruby asked. 

"I'm gonna walk around town, see what else is going on." - Emma replied and exited through the door. 

 

Emma Swan was frustrated. Stakeouts were a necessary part of being the Saviour, but it was quite different when you have to wait a whole day for a date with your suspect. So she decided to do what she told the girls she was going to do - walk around town. 

The first thing she noticed about Storybrooke was that it was very green. That was to be expected, from a town that's surrounded with woods, but it felt like the buildings were the foreign part of the place. The big clock tower in the middle of the town square looked especially peculiar. Emma was walking for about an hour when she spotted a crowd outside the building that appeared to be a small public library. Curious as to why there would be a queue for books on a Saturday, she approached. 

"Excuse me, do you know what's going on here?" - she asked an man with grey hair and a beard. 

"A book signing" - he replied in an accented voice. - "I love his books, it's like they speak to you." 

A book signing? Could it have something to do with what Whale told her? Was he friends with the writer? 

As she began to consider the possible connections, the doors opened and the crowd poured inside, taking Emma with it. Before she realised what was going on, she was sitting down in a plastic chair in front of a clear area. 

"How the hell did I end up in the first row?" - she asked herself but her thoughts were drowned out by a wave of applause. Emma looked up and was met with a pair of the bluest eyes she has ever seen. 

"Ladies and gentlemen" - an announcer to her left spoke- "you all know why you are here. Let's give a warm welcome to the author of "Good Form" – Killian Jones!" 


	5. New Acquaintances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own anything you may recognise.

The name wasn't unfamiliar to Emma, of course. Killian Jones' books adorned the windows of almost every single bookshop in New York. While not a big reader herself, Emma has enjoyed the movie adaptation of his debut novel, "The Land that Never Was: Jewel's Journey". She was convinced that the film deserved the Oscar it won for "Best Production Design". The setting was truly beautiful, and Emma did wonder whether it was chosen because the film crew decided so, or because Jones has written it precisely that way. She's never had the chance to find out from the book - being the Saviour didn't leave much time for indulging in a door-stopper. 

"The Land that Never Was", however, was the last thing on Emma's mind when the announcer introduced Killian Jones to the crowd at the library. As soon as she realised wo the blue-eyed man was, she was more than certain that he was the writer with whom Whale was hanging out last night. She all but dismissed the possibility of a romantic entanglement - Jones was in no way Whale's type, and from what little snippets she could remember about Jones, the feeling was mutual. Jones was, according to the papers at least, a serial monogamist. 

"Thank you all for coming" - a voice above her said, interrupting Emma's thoughts. Killian Jones winked at the audience, which caused some of the women to giggle behind Emma. The latter could understand why. Killian Jones was - there was no other word for it - hot. 

It was one thing for a man to have eyes the colour of a calm sea framed by long thick eyelashes and a raven-black mop of silky hair that framed his face that looked like it was carved out of marble by someone with a fetish for symmetry. It was another thing for that man to have what appeared to be a lean but muscular body and arms that looked like they could carry a woman to the end of the earth and back. But when there was a British accent added to the mix... Let's just say Emma did not blame the ladies for swooning. Hastily reminding herself that she was here for a case, she blinked and focused on the actual words coming out of Jones' mouth. 

"I must say, I did not expect such a big turn-out" - he said, with a self-deprecating laugh. Emma rolled her eyes. She didn't need her power to see that his words completely contradicted his expectations. It appeared that Killian Jones possessed narcissistic tendencies. Emma didn't know why she didn't figure that out before - his face was on every single back cover of his books. Not that the photos did him any justice. Unlike Belle, however, Emma didn't have a problem with people knowing that they looked good and using it to their advantage. It was, after all, a substantial part of her own life.

"I hope you're all here because of a little book of mine" - Killian continued. - "As you all know, it's the final chapter of "The Land that Never Was" series, and I am sure that many of you are itching to finally be done with it" - the protesting noises from behind Emma clearly showed that that could not be further from the truth - "but I thought we'd start with a little Q&A session before I sign your copies. I am happy to answer any questions you have, no need to be shy!" 

By the noise behind her, Emma gathered that almost every single person in the room has raised their hands. She wasn't surprised - it appeared that Killian Jones' books were popular even in small New England towns. These people must see them as an escape, she thought, from a life in the town where, it seems, nothing exciting ever happens. Well, if her gut was right, something was about to happen. And it wasn't an arrival of another celebrity. 

Emma half-listened to the questions the audience was throwing at Jones, pondering as to the best way to learn about his connection to Whale. So far, the only strategy on her mind was to corner him after everyone else has left under the false pretence of a slightly obsessive fangirl. She couldn't see how he'd refuse. Suddenly, a question fired from the very back of the audience caught her attention. 

"Mr Jones" - a man's voice was saying - "I must say, I've never read books by a writer who engages the audience like you do. It's like.. like you're commanding words to pull the reader in completely. Your character, Jewel - sometimes I feel like I'm standing right next to her on her ship. Like I can actually  _hear_  the waves and her voice. What's your secret? How do you make the words obey you?"

Emma narrowed her eyes at Killian's expression. It looked like the question was not expected. He frowned. 

"I- I am not sure what you mean..?" 

"David. David Nolan." 

"Well, Mr. Nolan, I appreciate the compliment. But to tell you the truth - I don't command words. Words command me. It's a writer's curse" - he chuckled softly after saying the last part. 

_100% truth. But also an omission. How is that even possible?_

Emma was thrown off. And she didn't like to be thrown off. She waited until it was time for the signing and picked up a hardback copy with a photo of a ship disappearing into a sea vortex. She moved towards the end of the queue in order to go through with her earlier plan. 

Killian, it appeared, liked to take his time with each customer. Emma had to give it to him - he was either genuinely nice (which was unlikely), or extremely well-versed in public relations. Every single customer walked away smiling widely. Emma even overheard some girls squealing and trading the copies of the book to see each other's messages because apparently, he wrote a unique one for each person. 

After what seemed like an hour, it was finally Emma's turn. She was the last one in the queue, and the only person remaining in the room, besides her and Jones, was the man who announced him at the start. He was at the very back of the room now and Emma was relieved. It meant that she could talk without being interrupted for at least some time. 

"Thank you for waiting" - Killian smiled and held out his hand for the book. Emma didn't part with it, however, but mustered the widest grin possible. 

"O.M.G! I can't believe I'm finally meeting Killian Jones! I am like, totally the biggest fan of your books! I can't tell you how many times I've read each of them!" - Emma was cringing internally at how ridiculous she must look. Jones, however, seemed to have bought it. He chuckled. 

"Well, I am flattered, miss...?"

"Oh, my name's Emma!" - she held out her hand and he shook it politely. 

"Nice to meet you, Emma. I hope you enjoyed your time today?" - he inquired. Emma nodded enthusiastically. 

"Oh yes! I totally agree with what that guy said, about your words literally having the power to recreate "The Land that Never Was" before you!" 

This time, Emma was certain. Killian's smile definitely became more forced. 

"Trust me, love. My words are but a tool, the rest is up to the reader." 

_Okay... why am I sensing a lie? He is not wrong!_

Emma smiled timidly. 

"I disagree! Your writing is like... it's got magic!" - Emma bit her tongue as soon as words were out of her mouth. She had no idea what possessed her to say that. But whatever it was, it had the desired effect. Killian Jones definitely looked paler now. 

"Miss Emma, I assure you, I am nothing but a modest writer trying to engage with the audience" - she could now hear a slight chill in his words. 

_And that's not a lie... but something is definitely off._

Not wanting to blow her cover, Emma handed him a boxset of "The Land that Never Was". He wrote something on the title sheets of each copy and handed them back to her. 

"Hope you enjoy the rest of your day, Miss Emma. It was a pleasure meeting you" - his tone was welcoming again. 

_95% truth, but 5% lie. I definitely unsettled him. Bingo._

Emma added a squeal for good measure. 

"It was SO AMAZING to meet you too, Mr. Jones! Hope you enjoy Storybrooke!" - she smiled at him again and, upon receiving a smile in return, paid for the books and walked out of the library, her head swarming with possibilities, one more puzzling than the other... 

 

* * *

 

Emma drove back to the hotel in Belfast, where Ruby and Belle were already waiting. She quickly told them what she found. To her surprise, neither of them found Killian Jones suspicious. 

"So what if Whale met up with a writer? Even if it's Jones, maybe he's just embarrassed about being a geek?" - Ruby suggested. Belle pouted slightly. 

"Just because a person enjoys reading fantasy books, it doesn't make him a geek!" - she uttered. Ruby blushed. 

"No offence meant, Belle. I never said it was a bad thing. I'm just saying that Dr. Whale might be concerned that his literary tastes may embarrass him in front of a girl" - she pointed to Emma who shrugged. 

"I don't buy it. He may have been bragging about saving a life to impress me, but why reveal that he was with a writer? And if he were really showing off, Killian Jones is pretty famous. I reckon that Whale would have believed that slipping such a name into the conversation would have peaked my interest."

"Would he be right?" - Ruby teased, and Emma scoffed. 

"No. And I am telling you, these two are up to something. And I think I know where to find a clue." - Emma lifted up the boxset of Jones' books. 

"You think there are clues in them?" - Ruby asked sceptically, but Belle grinned. 

"Let's get reading!" 

Emma had to smile at her enthusiasm. "Before we do - what did you guys find?" 

Belle blushed and nodded sheepishly. "Right - so I went to the hospital and asked about Whale. He pretty much keeps to himself, but he's a decent surgeon. He may not have saved a life last night, but he hasn't killed anyone either. 

"I wouldn't be so sure of that" - Ruby produced a folder from her red purse. - "I hacked into the hospital records, and get this: Whale may have a reasonably clean record, but there is something fishy here. The security camera footage showed me a room in the hospital that's not on the blueprints."

"Show me!" - Emma stood up and opened her laptop. Ruby took a memory stick out of her purse and plugged it in. There was indeed a black-and-white video of a small room. It was empty except for two beds. 

"I think they're in a coma" - Ruby whispered, pointing at the people lying on the beds. It was hard to tell what they looked like on the video. Suddenly, a door opened. A figure in a black hoodie entered the hospital room and approached one of the beds. 

"Who's that?" - Emma whispered, but Ruby pointed at the screen. "Keep watching." 

The figure bent down to the patient's face and kissed its forehead. 

"Damn you, turn around!" - Emma hissed, but the person's face was obscured. Whoever they were, they did not want to be spotted. 

"I'll poke and prod at Whale tomorrow" - Emma said, fully intending to do so. Ruby nodded. 

"There's more. Apparently, two of his patients disappeared a year ago. Nobody's seen them since." 

Emma pursed her lips. 

"I'll have to tread more carefully there. I doubt our Doctor would be so willing to disclose the results of his negligence." 

"You don't know that" - Belle supplied. - "They might have been kidnapped!"

"Whatever it was, Whale has gone to great lengths to cover that up. It took me forever to find the missing persons' reports, I had to hack the Sheriff's archives. The fact that they were Whale's patients jumped out, so I dug deeper. Turns out Whale was a person of interest in both cases, but they could never prove that he was involved." 

Emma frowned. "So Booth has us investigating missing persons' cold case? There has to be more to the story. Keep digging, Ruby. Belle, do you want to start reading Jones' books?" - The girl nodded enthusiastically, so Emma handed her a copy. 

"I've already seen the movie for the first one" - she explained. - "I'll start on Book Two." 

 


	6. The Date

People with troubled past? Check. 

Lost princesses? Check

People looking for adventures just for the hell of it? Check. 

Sure enough, Killian Jones' book Emma was currently reading was an engrossing literary work. She even admitted to herself that he was a good (okay, a very good) writer. But she failed to see the effect it apparently produced on a man named David Nolan and on her friend Belle. 

"I am telling you Emma - it's like I myself am the lost princess! I could've sworn it was me on the boat instead of Jewel in that scene before she meets Matt" - Belle was gushing about the first book in the series, which Emma didn't bother to read since she already knew what happened thanks to the movie. Emma rolled her eyes. 

"He's good, but he's not that great, Belle. You of all people should know that there are writers out there that make Killian Jones look like EL James."   
"I disagree!" - Ruby voiced her opinion from across the room. - "His sex scenes are much better!" Emma's eyes widened. 

"There are sex scenes?!" 

"Oh yeah!" - Ruby nodded enthusiastically. - "From the fourth book onwards. And Belle isn't wrong - it does feel like you're more than just an audience member..." 

"Okay, enough with the fangirling!" - Emma snapped her fingers. - "I have a date to get to, and any sex scenes written by Killian Jones or anybody else are the last thing that should be on my mind when I pry Whale for info." 

Since she assumed that the date was going to consist of a walk around the town and perhaps a quick bite to eat at Granny's, Emma opted for black skinny jeans and a viscose silvery-blue V-neck sweater. Hoping that Whale wouldn't make her run around too much, she decided on black suede ankle boots with kitten heels. Ruby handed her her red leather jacket and a matching purse on her way out. 

"If you get lucky, shoot me a text and we'll skedaddle" - she winked. Emma facepalmed. 

"Never. Going. To. Happen."

Ruby shrugged and went back to her book. Probably re-reading one of Jones' sex scenes, a correct guess forming in Emma's head. She sighed and waved to the girls, exiting the hotel. 

 

* * *

 

The drive to Storybrooke was uneventful, save for the ideas for questions she was going to ask Whale swimming through Emma's head. It was just after 9 am and she had just under half an hour to find a proper parking space and meet Whale at the diner. Luckily, she spotted a car park just behind the clock tower, that was almost empty. She parked her yellow bug at the spot closest to the exit and peered through the windows of the library beneath the tower. No sign of her or Killian Jones ever being there, save for a few copies of his books scattered around. Making a mental note to start a conversation about literature with Whale, Emma started to walk towards Granny's. Once she was outside the diner, she snuck a glance through the window. Sure enough, Victor Whale was already at the bar, texting. Emma checked her watch - he was five minutes early. If this were a real date, Emma would have counted that in his favour - she didn't care for tardiness. 9.30 meant 9.30, not 9.35. 

Plastering a smile on her face and running her fingers through her blonde waves to give it a more casual-yet-sexy look, Emma entered the diner. At the sound of the chime above the door, Whale lifted his gaze from his phone and waved, grinning. 

"Emma!" 

"Victor, hello!" - Emma approached him with a wide smile. - "Sorry to keep you waiting, it took some time to find a parking spot!" 

"No trouble at all" - Whale nodded politely. - "You are right on time" - he tapped on his watch, which caught Emma's attention. 

"That's an interesting watch you've got there" - she said. She wasn't lying - the design was intricate and she's only seen watches like that in period dramas. She didn't miss a momentary flicker of sadness in his eyes, which he hastily covered up with a smile. 

"It's a family heirloom. Anyway, thanks for coming! I do hope you like Storybrooke so far?" - he inquired, standing up.

"It's rather... quiant" - Emma let out a nervous laugh and followed him out of the diner. He offered his arm as they started walking on the pavement towards the tower, and she took it. 

"As you can see, the clock tower is right in the middle of the town" - he pointed at the building with which Emma was already familiar. - "There's a library underneath it too. If you want to borrow books or anything, the librarian is really helpful."

"Come to think of it, I did drive by the library yesterday shortly after I met you!" - she exclaimed. - "There was a massive crowd in there - is that normal for Saturdays in this town?" 

Whale frowned. - "Can't say that it is. Maybe the librarian was... busy" - he finished lamely. 

_The town library may be dead on Saturdays, but you don't believe the librarian was "busy", do you?_

"Ah, alright then!" - Emma followed him along. - "So, Victor, do you go to the library often?" 

"Can't say that I do. Being a surgeon doesn't leave me much time for reading, I'm afraid." 

"I know what you mean" - Emma sighed. - "My old job kept me pretty busy too. Although, I did get pretty into this fantasy series called "The Land that Never Was" recently. Do you know it?" 

Whale paled when Emma uttered the name and stopped so suddenly he almost tripped. 

"Woah, Victor, are you okay?!" - Emma mustered a concerned expression, her green eyes wide. 

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry. Just tripped over a stone is all" - he laughed, looking down. 

_100% liar. And you're not even trying._

"You sure you're alright? You look a little pale."

"No, I'm okay" - he smiled at her. - "Shall we?" 

Emma nodded and followed him onto the main street. 

"So here we've got the pharmacy if you get sick, although I'd rather you come to me for that" - he winked, nudging Emma lightly with his elbow. All Emma could think was that she'd rather puke her guts out, but she let out a giggle as though she loved what he was saying. 

"You never answered my question from earlier" - she nudged him back. 

"Oh right, the book. No, I can't say that I'm familiar with it."

_100% lie._

"Seriously?! It's by Killian Jones, he's like my favourite author! You must've heard about him, they even made three movies based on his books!" - Emma was laying it on thick. Whale shook his head, however. 

"Sorry, doesn't ring any bells. I'm not well-versed in modern culture though" - a self-deprecating laugh followed. 

 _Why do you keep lying about this, Whale? What is it with you and Jones?_  

A beep in Whale's jacket pocket brought an abrupt interruption to Emma's train of thoughts. Whale cursed and took out a pager. 

"Damn" - he swore again, pressing the button. - "I am so, so sorry..." 

"Oh, is everything alright?"

"No. It's... it's a patient of mine. There's been a change" - he no longer seemed to notice Emma but was rather muttering to herself. She grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her, and pouted. 

"Can I please come with you? I've never seen a coma patient before!" 

_Shit. Slip of the tongue. Focus, Emma_

Whale seemed to have noticed it too. 

"What makes you think it's a coma patient?" 

Emma shrugged, and a lie came natural to her. - "Because.. because I've only ever seen pagers like this before on the medics on TV and they normally deal with coma patients?" 

Whale sighed. - "Well, you are correct. But I really shouldn't..." 

"Please, Victor? I really want to see you at work" - Emma pouted some more. Man, she really hated flirting. He bit his lip and looked down. 

"I am really not used to breaking the rules but I suppose once couldn't hurt" - he finally nodded. 

_Liar. I've seen the missing persons files and the secret rooms and I doubt anything in them has been done by the book._

"The hospital isn't far from here. Follow me." 

She complied, and soon enough they were running down the stairs of Storybrooke Memorial, which looked nothing like hospitals Emma has been in when she was younger. The place was almost.. cheerful. 

Emma's hunch has been correct. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a door. When Whale opened it and rushed in, she recognised the room at once. She's seen it on the security camera footage Ruby procured for her yesterday. 

Except something was different. 

One of the coma patients - a blonde woman in her early twenties - still had her eyes closed and did not appear to be waking up in any way. However, the patient at the other end of the room was wide awake. Whale approached her and sat down, Emma taking a seat next to him. 

"Welcome back, Miss Blanchard" - he said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha didn't see that coming did you? ;) Any guesses as to what Victor and Killian are up to?  
> Btw I hate to be that person but I am really getting discouraged by the lack of feedback. This is a NaNoWriMo story and I really need some motivation to continue. So even if you hate it, please let me know why, so I can work on that :)


	7. Liar Liar

"'Blanchard' is right" - was Emma's first thought. The woman's face was very pale, almost as white as snow, and particularly stood out against ebony-coloured short hair. What is it with people in Maine and their pasty looks? Must be the small number of sunny days. 

The woman who Whale called Miss Blanchard blinked and opened her mouth as if to say something, but all Emma could hear was a scratchy sound. Whale stood up and poured a glass of water. 

"Here you go" - he brought the glass up to her lips and she took several sips. 

"W-where am I?" - she croaked. 

"You're in a hospital. Storybrooke Memorial to be precise. You were in a coma for a long time, I'm afraid." 

"C-coma?" - it was clear that whoever Miss Blanchard was, she had no idea what was going on. 

"Afraid so. What's the last thing you remember?" 

The woman furrowed her eyebrows. 

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?" - Whale prompted. Was it Emma's imagination or did he look slightly relieved? 

The woman shrugged. 

"I'm sorry, I'm drawing a blank. All I remember is darkness."

Whale sighed. 

"No need to apologise. Do you know your name?"

She shook her head sadly. 

"Your name is Mary Margaret Blanchard. You're 36 years old at present, but you were 28 when you were in a car accident. You've been in a coma ever since." 

_You're lying._

"You're lying."

_Shit, did I say that out loud?!_

However, Whale wasn't looking at Emma. He was looking at the pale woman. 

"I can assure you, Miss Blanchard, I am telling you the absolute truth." 

"I don't believe you! You're lying!"

Emma stood there, stunned. However, she knew better than to interfere. 

"What makes you think I'm lying?"

"I don't know, but you are!" 

"Miss Blanchard, you are not well. It is best that you get some sleep right now. I will return in an hour to check on you" - Whale was trying to sound confident but he was almost stuttering with how fast words were coming out of his mouth. Yep, Emma thought, he was definitely unsettled by this woman. Emma cleared her throat. Whale jumped as though he's forgotten she was there. 

"Emma, I'm sorry, but I believe it is best for me to stick around here today. Would you be OK finding your way back?" - he asked, clearly pretending to be concerned for Emma, but she knew that he was only thinking about himself and whatever was troubling him. She nodded. 

"Of course. Let me know if you want to get together again?" - she took a piece of paper from the table near the bed and wrote down her number.

He nodded absentmindedly and pocketed the paper. 

"My apologies. It appears that I'm needed. I'll walk you out." 

Emma followed Whale out, turning around at the door and giving Miss Blanchard a smile. She could've sworn she received a hesitant one in return, but her mind was too busy plotting her next move to pay attention. 

_Who is this person? Why is Whale lying to her? He told the truth about her name, but the rest was a lie. How could she be able to tell that? And what is so important for him to just ditch me like this?_

_Ugh, I need my friends for these things._

Emma did indeed realise that her superpower would be useless for interrogating a coma patient with amnesia (Mary Margaret Blanchard was telling the truth about that, that much Emma knew). So she took out her phone and sent Ruby a text: 

" _I need you two to find out everything you can about a Mary Margaret Blanchard. Start with the hospital records or police reports. - E"._

A few minutes later, when Emma was already in her car, her phone buzzed. 

" _Cool. R U driving back now? - R"_

Emma had no plans to go back to Belfast, however. Instead, she drove the car to the hospital and parked behind the bushes through which she could see into Whale's office. After ensuring that he was still there and wasn't about to wander around and spot her and get suspicious, she unwrapped the chicken sandwich bought this morning and dug in. When she was done, she reached for her phone into her purse to tell Ruby that she was staking out the place, she noticed something. A book was placed inside her purse. 

"Great. Ruby put Jones' book in. Well I guess, I'll just stay here and read until Whale finishes his shift" - Emma muttered to herself and fired off another quick text to Ruby telling her that she was following up on a lead. She lowered the back of the seat and opened the book where she bookmarked it. 

 

* * *

 

 

Book signing events may not have been Killian Jones' favourite pastime, but they were a necessity the Jolly Roger imposed on him when he told them he was going to spend a few days in Storybrooke, Maine. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't love the attention that was usually inevitable at those events. The readers' love for his books and the various ways they expressed it were a small, but a sweet dose of balm for his soul that was contaminated with the curse very few writers were, to his knowledge, familiar with. 

When he was younger and shared his secrets with the few people close to him, they told him that writers wrote simply because they had to. He soon came to realise that it was true. However, there was a lot more to it than that in his case. After several attempts to explain that, the people who were his biological parents eventually threw him out of the house, claiming that they didn't need a "freak" in the family. His much older brother Liam was dead by then, and so a 15-year-old Killian Jones had no-one but his mind. 

By then, he learnt not to share anything about himself that pertained to his... whatever it was with anyone. If his own family didn't want him for that reason, how could he think that anyone else ever would? So since that dreadful day when he was brought into the foster system, he did the only thing he could do. 

He wrote. And he kept writing. 

However, it wasn't enough. While people loved his series of contemporary romantic thrillers which he wrote under the pseudonym of James Hook, he was smart enough to know that eventually, someone would get suspicious. The pull of his realistic fiction was too strong, thanks to the blasted curse (he couldn't bring himself to call it a "gift"). Plus it wasn't hard enough to track down a writer named James Hook. So he changed genres. 

His publishers weren't happy, of course. Peter Pan, who owned "The Jolly Roger", let him stay on under one condition. 

"James Hook is a writer of sappy romantic thrillers" - he said. - "Either write under you real name or get lost." 

And so Killian Jones the fantasy novelist was born.

Did he feel bad for messing with people's heads?

Of course - that was another reason he changed genres. People read fantasy as a way to escape reality for a period of time. They knew that good fantasy novels had that effect of getting lost in the made-up worlds for hours at a time. He had his concerns when a major studio picked "Jewel Journey" as their latest project, but it turned out that the director and the script writer (a part which Killian firmly turned down) were excellent at their jobs, but that was it. The book's power did not transfer to the big screen, and Killian Jones was thankful for that. 

His change of pseudonym turned out to be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he felt more like himself as Killian Jones - James Hook was just another one of his many methods to hide his true self. On the other hand, however, that small relief came with a price. Hiding behind James Hook made him feel slightly more distant from his work and therefore, lessened the guilt he felt every time a reader told him that his writing made him feel like he was a player in the story. On a good day, he was almost able to convince himself as well as the reader, that it was all just words taking over his mind and producing a really well-written story. Being Killian Jones made it so much harder to lie to the reader. That guilt was slowly poisoning his soul and did no favours to his creative genius. He was a very self-aware man, however, and knew that the guilt was one of the many reasons for writer's block. Usually, he would just drown his sorrows in some pub in London, but this time, he needed to be focused. 

He would never forget the day Dr. Victor Whale approached him. 

 

* * *

 

BUZZ

Emma Swan almost jumped in her seat. Killian Jones' book was hard to pull away from, so Ruby's e-mail startled her. 

 

" _Emma,_

 

_Got the info on MM Blanchard. Up until six years ago, she lived a quiet life as a teacher a few towns over. Then something happened to her, but I couldn't tell what - all the records were deleted. I tried all the databases I could think of, but nada. Definitely fishy. But get this - she's got a husband. A David Nolan. AND he is the Sheriff of Storybrooke! Yep, the very same one that Booth talked about. You might wanna talk to Nolan when you get the chance. I'm attaching a photo._

 

_Belle looked into him too, she says that he's an upstanding citizen and has been the Sheriff after the former Sheriff, a Graham Humbert went missing six years ago. Doubt that's a coincidence! And before you ask - yes, he was one of Whale's patients. According to the townfolk, Humbert had a bad heart and Whale is supposed to be the best surgeon in the state. I smell COVER-UP._

_How's the stakeout going? Let us know when you leave, we'll get dinner._

 

_\- R."_

 

Emma clicked on the attachment and gasped. She's seen that man yesterday, at Jones' book signing! Remembering his inquisitive questions about the writer's unusual skills, she bit her lip. Why would Mary Margaret's husband, a law enforcement professional, go to a book signing? His enthusiasm was not something that sat well with Emma's image of husbands stricken with grief. 

Unless Killian Jones knew something. But what? 

It appeared that Emma would have to speak with him again. But first, she needed to finish her stakeout and talk to Nolan. 

She didn't have to wait long. After sitting in his office all day, Whale stood up twenty minutes after Emma got the e-mail and switched off the light. Emma waited another five minutes until he exited the hospital. She cursed. Her original plan was to sneak back in and catch him in the act of... something, but it appeared that he was indeed heading home. Emma glanced at her watch. It was 10 pm. She sighed. It was no use going in now since Mary Margaret Blanchard was likely asleep. She sent a quick text to Ruby and began her drive back to Belfast. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and questions mean the world to me so please don't be shy and click that button below :)


	8. Sheriff Nolan

_The sunlight was merciless. Its rays were making his eyelids turn red and cut through the remains of his sleep. He groaned and turned his head away, meeting a warm patch of skin._

_"Noooo..." - he muttered, nuzzling his wife's shoulder. - "I object to mornings."  He heard a melodic chuckle - a sound he loved the most._

_"Afraid that's not an option" - she replied. He felt, rather than heard, the vibrations of her voice on his own skin. He groaned again._

_"Not moving" - he whispered. The woman laughed again._

_"We can stay as long as we like, David" - she turned to face him, giving him a soft kiss. He shuddered._

_"You're like ice. Come here" - he wraps his arms around her, pulling her close to him. Her skin felt like snow against his body. Why was she so cold?_

_He was completely awake now and was looking at her, alarmed. She's always been pale, but never like this. He stroked her cheekbone with his fingertips. It was ice-cold to touch. Her dark eyelashes were like a thin black stream running through an otherwise snowy clearing. Why were her eyes closed?_

_"Mary Margaret?" - he called out softly. She didn't respond._

_"Mary Margaret!" - he called, louder this time, and shook her shoulder lightly. She was lying still._

_"Mary Margaret, wake up!" - he yelled, now terrified._

_"Wake up, wake up!"_

_"Mr Nolan, wake up!"_

Huh?

_"Mr Nolan!"_

 

* * *

 

He gasped and opened his eyes. Someone was shaking him, but he couldn't see who. He blinked, twice. 

He was at the Sheriff's station, at his desk. A blonde woman was standing next to him, her hand on his shoulder. He blinked again and looked at her, puzzled. 

"Huh? What? Who-who are you?" - he stammered out. 

"My name is Emma Swan. I came in and you were lying at your desk. I came closer to see if you were alright, but..." - she hesitated

"But what?"

"You... weren't quite yourself when I tried to wake you." - she finished lamely. His dream flashed before his eyes and he understood. He nodded. 

"I'm sorry I scared you. Please take a seat. May I offer you a drink?"

Emma declined politely and took a seat across the Sheriff, who was still looking frazzled. The dark circles under his eyes that Emma didn't notice at the library showed that he hasn't been getting much sleep lately. 

"So" - he said after taking a deep breath - "Miss Swan was it?"

She nodded. 

"What can I help you with?"

 

* * *

 

_The night before_

After finishing their Chinese takeaway, Emma, Ruby and Belle sat down to discuss their next move. 

"I guess we now know who was the guy in the black hoodie on the tape?" - Ruby began. Emma nodded. 

"It's very likely that it was Nolan. But I'll ask him tomorrow just to make sure."

"But if it indeed  _was_  him... maybe he isn't so bad?" - Belle suggested. - "I mean, he seemed pretty caring on the video." 

"Perhaps. But again, I'd need to talk to him and find out why his wife is being kept at a secret room in a hospital which isn't even in their own hometown. Ruby, you said he became the Sheriff of Storybrooke approximately six years ago?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, according to Whale, Mary Margaret was in her accident around the same time. However, I know that Whale was lying about that."

"So what are you thinking?" - Ruby asked. 

"Not sure. But we need to dig deeper if we want to find out what exactly happened six years ago that made an elementary school teacher from Portland go into coma and end up in a hospital in Storybrooke. And the key to solving that mystery lies with her husband, who suddenly became a Sheriff in a tiny town that just happens to be the same one where his wife is." 

"Maybe he just wanted to be closer to her when she wakes up?" - Belle piped in. Emma sighed. 

"And becoming a Sheriff was a way to do that? Belle, he was a lowly animal shelter assistant person back in Portland. Sheriff is quite a step up from that don't you think?" 

Belle shrugged. "Maybe... he wanted to get to the bottom of whatever happened to his wife and being a Sheriff would grant him enough power to do that?" Emma, however, scoffed at that. 

"If that's true, he has to be pretty dumb to not have the answer after six years. No, there is a lot more going on here. Plus, there is Graham Humbert. He was the Sheriff for ages before Nolan showed up, and it appears that he loved his job. People don't just disappear and get replaced by new people in town."

"Also, like Ruby said, it's no coincidence that the doctor who treated the former Sheriff's heart condition, is also treating the current Sheriff's wife." - Emma added as an afterthought and looked around. Both of her friends were looking pensive. 

"Yeah, but it could just be that Storybrooke has only one qualified medical professional?" - Belle threw in another suggestion. Emma bit her lip. 

"That may be, and Whale is apparently one of the best, but how do you explain the disappearance of that other guy who was also Whale's patient? Baelfire.. something? We know that Nolan investigated both that guy's and Humbert's disappearances, and Whale was the only common factor in both cases. Do you know what that means?"

"What it means" - Ruby answered - "is that you really need to talk to Nolan." 

Emma nodded. "I'll tell him I'm a private detective hired by a friend of Baelfire's. Booth e-mailed me his file this afternoon, straightforward enough."

"Baelfire's? Why not Humbert's?" - Belle asked. 

"Because Baelfire's file states that he was new in town, nobody knew him. Whereas everybody knew Humbert, and I believe that Nolan will suspect something is amiss - he's probably spoken to every single friend of Humbert's and a new, strange one resurfacing six years later would be something worth looking into." - Emma explained. 

"You clearly thought this through" - Ruby said. Emma gave her a small smile. 

"Whale is a rather boring date. Staking him out is even more boring, despite the fact that I had Jones' book to entertain me - thanks for that by the way." 

Ruby smirked. "Admit it - you loved it."

Emma shrugged. "It wasn't bad. But speaking of Jones - keep digging into his life. And I don't just mean his writing career. He is involved somehow, I'm certain of it. I don't have anything solid yet - call it a hunch. But I'm sure something will turn up. 

Ruby nodded. "Go get some sleep, Emma. You won't get anywhere until you talk to Nolan anyway." 

Emma sighed but complied. 

 

* * *

 

_Present day_

Emma briefly recalled what she and the girls agreed on last night before answering:

"I am a private detective. A friend of a Mr Baelfire Gold hired me to try and find him. As I understand, you investigated his disappearance six years ago?" 

She watched him carefully. He furrowed his eyebrows, as though he was trying to remember something that happened a long time ago. Finally, half a minute later, a light of recognition sparked in his blue eyes and he nodded. 

"Yes, the missing persons case six years ago. I remember. Unfortunately, he was never found."

_You are not a liar, I'll give you that. He wasn't found. But there's more to the story isn't there?_

Emma pursed her lips. "My client... they are devastated by what happened. They've been abroad for a few years so they didn't know that Mr Gold was missing until recently. They were quite close when they were younger, and my client would really appreciate if you helped me in any way you can." 

"Of course, of course" - Nolan was nodding absentmindedly. - "Let me just pull up Mr Gold's file." - He clicked a few buttons on his old desktop computer and began reading the information Emma already knew from Ruby and Booth. 

"Baelfire Gold, born December 24th, 1977 in Michigan. Showed up in Maine out of the blue six and a half years ago, claiming he had stomach cancer. Confirmed by Dr Victor Whale who treated him here in Storybrooke."

_So far, he's telling the truth. Or at least he believes he is._

"As far as I understand, Mr Gold went missing about six months after arriving to Storybrooke?" - Emma asked. Sheriff nodded. 

"Sounds about right." 

"And are you absolutely certain that nobody has heard from him since?" - Emma structured her question carefully, determined to catch the Sheriff out. He hesitated. 

"I am certain."

_Uh-oh. No you aren't._

Emma raised her eyebrows and leaned forward, placing her hands on the table, palms up. 

"Sheriff Nolan, look. Mr Gold is dearly missed. His friend is prepared to pay good money to anybody willing to help. If you know something, you owe it to them to tell me." 

 _You owe it to your wife_ , she wanted to add, but it was too soon for that. 

Nolan sighed and looked down at his desk, clearly uncomfortable.

"I don't know anything."

_100% truth_

"I know you don't" - Emma said gently. - "But can you think of anyone who does?"

He didn't reply. His eyes were still looking down and Emma could see a single tear running down his stubbled cheek. If he weren't a suspect, she would've felt bad for him. 

"Who's Mary Margaret?" - she asked. 

That caught his attention. His widened eyes met Emma's. 

"Whe-where did you hear that name?" - he stammered out. 

"You were shouting it in your sleep when I got here" - she answered.  _Not a lie._ He nodded, understanding. 

"She... she was my wife." - he said softly. 

"Was?" 

"Is. Was. I don't know!" - he stood up suddenly and walked towards the window, his shoulders shaking. Emma sighed. She didn't deal well with crying people. Most of the criminals she dealt with were incapable of feeling anything but greed and contempt. She approached him cautiously. 

"What happened, Sheriff? Where is your wife?" - she prodded. He turned away. 

"Storybrooke Memorial" - he finally muttered. - "Comatose. Has been for six years." 

 _Now we're getting somewhere_. 

Emma hated herself for knowing this, but in her experience, direct approach in these situations was the best. 

"Did Dr Whale do something to her?" - she asked. Sheriff's shoulders stopped shaking and he turned towards her slowly. 

"What.. what makes you think that?" - he asked evasively. Emma had to think quickly

"Um... wasn't he the same guy who treated Mr Gold in Storybrooke Memorial six years ago? And you did say your wife was in Storybrooke Memorial for six years now didn't you? So... I figured there was a connection?" - Emma lied hastily. Nolan walked back to his desk and sat down, still looking miserable. 

"He didn't do anything to her. Dr Whale is a trusted medical professional. She wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him" - he said with a tone of finality after a moment. 

_Hmmm. 100% truth. So either he is completely clueless or Whale is actually innocent in relation to Blanchard. What is going on here?_

"If Dr Whale didn't hurt your wife... how did she end up in coma?" - Emma asked softly, puzzled. What she wasn't prepared for, however, were fresh sobs that were shaking Sheriff Nolan's body. 

"Mr Nolan?"

He didn't respond. 

"Mr Nolan!" - Emma called out again. He looked at her as though he's just noticed she was there. 

"It was all my fault" - he whispered. "All my fault!" - he suddenly screamed and ran out of the station, Emma following behind him. He was too quick for her to ascertain if he was lying or not. 

* * *

 

Emma had no plans for running that day, so she mentally thanked Ruby for suggesting that she wore flat boots. Sheriff Nolan was fast, but so was she - running after criminals who wanted a quick getaway prepared her for this. 

Sheriff Nolan led her to a familiar building - Storybrooke Memorial. 

"Mr Nolan, stop!" - she called out when he dashed inside through the glass doors. He didn't appear to have heard her. He was running down the stairs that led, as Emma knew from her date with Whale two days ago, to a room with coma patients. He kicked the door open and ran inside, with Emma hot on his heels. 

Everything looked as if Emma has never left the room that day. A blonde woman was lying still in the same position, and the dark-haired woman whom Emma knew to be Mary Margaret Blanchard was sitting up, with her eyes open and looking scared. Dr. Whale was standing next to her, mixing a solution of some sort. 

"Mary Margaret!" - Nolan cried out and fell onto his knees next to her bed. Whale appeared to be too startled to stop him. Nolan reached for the woman's pale hand but she pulled away, looking terrified. 

"Who-who are you?!" - she screamed out. Emma didn't want to stick around to witness Sheriff Nolan's devastation at his wife's amnesia, so she turned around to leave, only to slam into something. 

Or rather, someone. 

"Woah, lass, easy there!" - she felt strong hands on her shoulders steadying her and took a step back to get a look at her human obstacle. Her eyes widened at the familiar face. 

Killian Jones' blue eyes were staring at her. And he did not look the least bit amused. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback (positive or otherwise) motivate me, so don't be shy!


	9. The Doctor, the Writer and the Brothers

_About seven years ago._

 

James Hook has just published his last ever romantic thriller, and Killian Jones was in the process of working on what was to become a series of critically acclaimed fantasy novels about a young princess called Jewel who got bored of being ignored by her family and ran away to seek adventures. He's already submitted the first draft to Smee for editing and was waiting to hear back from him.

On the evening of October 21st when Smee was supposed to ring him with an update, Killian Jones was hanging out at his favourite pub, The White Hart, in Notting Hill, nursing his second pint of Guinness. He was thinking of getting some dinner when a stranger took a seat across him. 

"Can I help you?" - Killian asked. The stranger had a distinct odor of someone who spent a lot of time with disinfectants which, coupled with the dark circles under his eyes, led Killian to believe that the man was a medical professional. 

"Sorry to bother you" - he replied - "My name is Victor Whale, and I am a big fan of your work, sir!" - he held out his hand for Killian to shake and he took it after a few seconds of confusion. 

"Well, I'm flattered, Mr. Whale. Or is it... Dr. Whale?" - he inquired politely. The man named Victor Whale shook his head. 

"Just Victor, please! Good Lord, I can't believe I'm finally meeting you! I've always wanted to shake hands with a man who wrote some of my favourite books!" - he was rambling like a typical fan the writer was used to meeting at book signings and conventions, but something was telling Killian that he was anything but. He gave Whale a charming smile. 

"I am glad you enjoy them. Which one do you like best?" 

Whale hesitated before answering. 

"Well, that's a hard one! But I guess it would have to be... "The Coward's Wife". Your very first book. I love all the other ones, don't get me wrong, but this one was the one I could relate to the most." 

Killian didn't need any superpowers to tell that Whale was speaking the truth. The sadness in his voice was evident when he spoke about the book. 

"I'm sorry" - he offered his condolences, not knowing what he was sorry for. Whale waved him off. 

"It's quite alright, Mr Jones, it's quite alright!" - Killian narrowed his eyes.  _Bingo_. Hardly anybody knew his real name - he insisted on The Jolly Roger never revealing it. James Hook was the only name the readers knew him by. Deciding that he's had enough attention from Whale, he leaned forward. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" - he hissed. Whale smirked. 

"You don't beat around the bush, do you,  _Killian_?" 

"I don't." - Killian snapped irritably. - "Either tell me what you want or get lost."

Whale shrugged. "Suit yourself. My name is Victor Whale and you guessed correctly - I am indeed a doctor. And I need your help." 

"How can I possibly help you?" - Killian was still annoyed but he was getting curious. 

Whale smirked again and leaned towards Killian to whisper in his ear:

"With your gift of course." 

Killian pulled back, glaring at Whale. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. And I suggest you get the hell out before I call the police and they throw you out." 

Whale sighed. - "We both know you are not a conventional writer, Killian. And I am pretty sure that that has caused you problems. Makes you feel horrible doesn't? Knowing what you can do but unable to stop it? You see, I've known many writers. You don't write because you want money, or fame. You write because you have no other choice. Bet you even tried to end it all back when you were a wee lad didn't you? Because you're special. And so is the energy that you carry with your words."

"But you've been holding back with your books haven't you? Realistic fiction you've been publishing as James Hook - while admittedly very good, like I said I'm a fan - it doesn't allow you to reach your full potential does it? That's why you're switching to fantasy - yes, I know all about that" - Whale waved away Killian's attempt to interrupt - "an interesting move, if you'd allow me to say so. And I'm sure it will help a little bit. But we both know that unless you use your gift to its full potential, you'll never be fully content. Fantasy novels and attention of fangirls may work like a temporary soothing ointment but it's not the same is it?"

Killian has had enough. 

"What. Do. You. Want?" - he growled. Whale nodded. 

"I'm getting to that. What I'm trying to say is - I understand. More than you know. I've lost my brother a long time ago, just like you. He was the only person who completely supported me. I have a gift of my own, and everybody hated and rejected me for it. Except my brother. So I understand that feeling of being the only person you can ever count on." 

Whale's voice broke slightly but he swallowed and continued talking.

"And so, I am here to offer you a chance to experience happiness again. True happiness, not the kind that comes from taking several hundred photos with fans per day and writing epic dragon-fighting scenes. You see, I need your gift for something. And it will allow you to take full advantage of it and see that you can do something great with it. I can provide you with a chance to use your gift to get both of our brothers back. It's a win-win for you, Killian."

Killian didn't reply. He was too stunned by Whale's proposal. 

"Take your time" - Whale smiled and patted Killian's shoulder. - "I'll be sitting over there tomorrow, from 6 pm until closing time" - he pointed at the corner of the pub. - "Come to me when you decide to agree and I'll tell you more. Have some fish and chips on me - no codfish, if I'm not mistaken?" He walked away, Killian's astonished gaze lingering on his retreating silhouette. 

 

As soon as he got home, Killian opened his old laptop and typed "Dr. Victor Whale" into Google. There were a few links to his doctoral dissertation ("A Comparative Analysis of Potential Significance of the Heart and of the Brain in Medicinal Necromancy"), several articles about his quick success, and one link to an obituary of a Gerhardt Whale, his older brother. 

Medicinal Necromancy? Killian's medical knowledge was limited, but he suspected that that particular discipline wasn't something practiced by traditional doctors. After downloading the full text of the work and skimming through it, the writer was almost convinced that Dr Whale was insane. 

Or was he? 

How did he know about Killian's... special power? 

And even if he is telling the truth - how would that help Killian? 

What the hell is this guy up to?! 

 

All these questions were swarming through Killian's head as he went to bed that night. He barely registered Smee's gleeful approval of the draft of his new book - he was overwhelmed and confused. He was only certain of one thing and he would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't decide on that right after he saw Whale leave. He was going to see Whale tomorrow. Just to talk. 

Years later, Killian still had no idea what possessed him to actually see Whale again. Was it curiousity? Or was it despair? Was he really so thirsty, so desperate for even a tiny sliver of something resembling peace in his soul to consider an offer made by a complete stranger? Needless to say, he was a mess of thoughts and emotions when he entered the pub the following evening and took a seat across Whale. 

"Hello, Killian" - Whale greeted him with a smile. - "So glad you could make it." 

 

* * *

 

_Present day_

Emma gaped at the writer, wheels spinning in her head.  _Was I right? Is he involved in all this - whatever this is?_  

He was still holding her by the shoulders and his penetrating gaze was unsettling. Her trance was broken, however, by Whale clearing his throat. 

"A writer, a traveller, a doctor, a sheriff and a teacher walk into a hospital. If this is a joke, I am dying to hear the punchline."

"Shut up, Victor!" - Emma snapped, but she wasn't the only one. Sheriff Nolan and Killian Jones were apparently just as annoyed. 

"Anyone wants to tell me what's going on?" - Jones asked. - "Anyone?" - he looked at Whale, then at Nolan, finally resting his gaze on Emma once again. 

Nobody spoke. 

"I'd like to hear the answer to that myself, if that's alright" - a soft voice spoke. Mary Margaret Blanchard was looking at Emma and Killian with a mixture of fear and mild curiousity. Whale cleared his throat again. 

"Nothing, Miss Blanchard. My friend Killian was popping by for a visit. He was just leaving" - he shot a pointed look at the blue-eyed writer who ignored him. 

_Liar_

"Liar!" - Mary Margaret yelled. Emma shuddered. What was up with that woman? 

Whale sighed and began to approach the bed, but found his way to be blocked by Sheriff Nolan. 

"Step away from my wife!" - he growled. 

"I am not your wife! What are you saying?!" - Mary Margaret shouted, panic evident in her voice. Nolan turned to face her and Emma's heart almost broke at the tenderness in his eyes. 

"Mary Margaret, please. I realise that you don't remember me, but I am your husband! Use your gift, you know I'm telling the truth!" 

Emma paled. 

"What gift?!" - both Emma and Mary Margaret cried out, but nobody heard Emma. Except Killian, who turned to face her. 

"Don't I know you?" - he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Emma nodded, too shocked to reply verbally. 

David Nolan was openly crying now, his face buried in Mary Margaret's duvet, who seemed to relax slightly, but also had tears streaming down her face. Whale was fidgeting with his hands and looking very uncomfortable. Emma shook her shoulders and approached him cautiously. 

"Victor" - she asked, pouting to pretend like she was sad - "why are these people crying?" But instead of Whale's reply, she heard Killian scoff. 

"Excuse me?" - she turned to face him, her eyes narrowed. 

"He's not the one you want to question, love" - he no longer resembled an arrogant attention-seeker Emma met at the library two days ago. Instead, he was giving her a look of... was it respect? 

"What.. what are you talking about, Mr Jones?" - she asked, hastily adopting her adoring fan persona and batting her eyelashes. He scoffed again. 

"Cut it out, lass. We both know you are not here to fangirl." Emma rolled her eyes, a small part of her relieved. 

_Two can play that game, Jones_

"And we both know that you are not just a writer" - she replied, taking one step close to him and looking him straight in the eyes, which darkened as soon as she spoke. 

"To what are you referring?" - he replied politely, but he clearly wasn't pleased. 

"Killian, don't!" - Whale cried out from behind her suddenly. Killian sent him a warning look, which Emma couldn't make sense of. She decided not to bother with them for now and shifted her gaze towards Nolan and Mary Margaret, who were talking in hushed tones, the husband apparently able to calm the wife down. Emma cleared her throat. 

"Mr Nolan?" - she asked softly. He turned towards her slowly, not saying anything. 

"Do you remember me? I was talking to you about something earlier?" - He nodded. 

"You're Emma Swan, the detective. You're looking for Mr Gold, right?"

"You're a detective?!" - the two men behind her cried out in surprise. Emma ignored them. 

"Why did you bring me here, Mr Nolan?" - she pressed. - "Why did you say it was your fault your wife was here?" 

 "Because it is" - he whispered it so softly Emma could barely make it out. 

_I can't tell if he's lying or not. He believes it was his fault. But is it really?_  

"Mr Nolan" - Emma sighed and approached the bed - "I can't help bring Mr Gold home if you don't help me. I realise this is a difficult time for you but I really need some answers." 

Nolan nodded absentmindedly. 

"Perhaps... perhaps we should step outside?" - Emma suggested, but Nolan refused. 

"I am not leaving my wife." - he said firmly. 

"Of course, Mr Nolan. Forgive me. However, I really need to speak with you about this." 

"I know" - Nolan sighed. - "Mary Margaret, I'm sorry but this will be hard to hear." - he spoke to his wife, grabbing her hand. She didn't pull away. 

"On the day of your car accident" - he began - "I was supposed to be driving you here, to Storybrooke. I can't even remember why now! But I had a few drinks at this stupid party at work and didn't want to drive drunk, so I called you and asked if you were OK to drive by yourself. You said you were fine, so I kept drinking at a party thrown for my own goddamn promotion!" - he let out a sob. - "I must've drank a bit too much because the next thing I remember was getting a call from Dr Whale about you being... here. That was six years ago. Dr Whale kept you alive for all that time, but you only managed to wake up yesterday apparently" - he gave her a look full of such love and devotion, that Emma thought her power wasn't working right. 

_Nobody can fake being in love like that. So why did you just lie to her?_

Mary Margaret's thoughts seemed to mirror Emma's - she narrowed her eyes at her husband and was wearing an expression of utter disbelief. However, Nolan either didn't notice or chose to ignore it. 

Emma suddenly heard a throat being cleared and turned around. This time, however, it wasn't Whale. It was Killian, whose expression mirrored Mary Margaret's. Emma stood up and walked up to him, eyebrow raised. 

"Quite a gift you two ladies have" - he said softly, with a touch of admiration. Emma smiled coldly. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

Killian opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a clicking of high heels and a voice that sent chills down Emma's spine. 

"Good to see you finally awake, Miss Blanchard." 

_Oh please no!_

Emma's hopes were tarnished, however. As she turned around, she was met with a set of cold black eyes. 

Her old Principal Regina Mills was standing right in front of her. Looking as menacing as ever. 


	10. Black Holes and Revelations

_Ten years ago_

 

Emma giggled as her boyfriend appeared out of thin air. 

"Do it again! I'll catch you out this time, I promise!" 

Neal shook his head, laughing - "No you won't!" - and vanished again. 

Emma groaned. Ever since Neal's revealation about his gift, she's been trying to crack it, to catch that exact blink-and-you-miss-it moment when he disappeared. So far, she's had no luck. Neither did the police. 

"Boo" - a voice speaking behind her into her ear startled her. She jumped and swatted lightly at what appeared to be air, but judging from the "Ow!" she received, she's hit her target. 

"Yes!" - she whooped as Neal materialised in front of her again. 

"We make a pretty good team, you know" - he said, throwing an arm around her shoulders. - "The Lie Detector and the Unnoticeabe."

Emma chuckled. 

"You know" - he continued - "I bet you already know so much about liars, you'd be a pretty good one yourself."  
"I don't know about that" - Emma blushed, but she was secretly pleased by the compliment. - "I mean, I can play the innocent victim fine, but actual lies? I don't know if I'm any good." 

Neal laughed. "Come on! Go on, try it on me. Tell me a lie and a truth - something I don't already know about you." 

She smiled. "Alright. Well... " - he raised his hand to stop her. 

"Em, you can't think about it! You're making it too easy! Lies should come naturally!" 

Emma nodded. 

_Remember how other people lie? They make it look easy don't they?_

"My parents come to me. In my dreams I mean. They talk to me, we have this sweet reunion scenes, like in the movies.. But I can never remember their faces.."

Neal nodded. He was looking at her intently, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. "And the other thing?"

"I was kicked out of school because I used my superpower on the Principal." 

He laughed, pulling her close. "My poor little rebel" - he murmured. 

"So? Did you guess which one was the lie?" - she asked, eager to discover if she's gotten better at lying since last year. 

He booped her nose. "I'll tell you this time tomorrow. Remember, parking lot, 9 o'clock."  
Emma pouted a little but kissed him softly. "Can't wait" - she whispered. 

But she never got to find out whether or not Neal thought she was a good liar. And until she got out of jail a year later and Booth began training her, she hasn't been able to tell a single lie. 

 

* * *

 

_Present day_

Regina Mills hasn't noticed Emma yet - she was too busy staring at Mary Margaret and David Nolan. Emma thanked her lucky stars for that - if her old principal was looking right at her, she would undoubtedly have recognised her old student. 

"You alright, lass?" - Killian Jones asked her softly. He seemed to notice the way her hands were shaking and her facial expression mirroring that of a young child about to be beaten with a belt. 

"Lass?" - he called out again gently and touched her shoulder hesitantly. That seemed to have done the trick. Emma turned around swiftly. 

"What? Course I'm alright" - she snapped. Killian frowned but chose to refrain from calling her out on the lie. 

"Do you know her?" - he asked instead. 

_Emma, you can lie better now. He may be perceptive but you have the power of a lie detector. You can fool him._

"I don't" - she replied. - "Should I?" 

Killian shrugged. - "If you're from here. She's the Mayor of this town." 

Oh God, Emma thought. Principal Mills now has an entire community of people to steal from and enough power to bully everyone and their mother?! 

"I have got to get out of here" - she muttered to nobody in particular and proceeded to complete her task, ignoring Killian's puzzled expression. As soon as she stepped out of the room, she began to run. She ran until she's reached the parking lot behind the Sheriff's station. She spent about two minutes trying to open the door in her car - her hands were shaking and her heart was beating like it wanted to jump out of her chest. Finally she got the door open and fell onto the driver's seat. 

Her thoughts were a mess. How did Regina... 

When did she even... 

Did she recognise... 

But Emma couldn't form a coherent idea in her mind. Every single thought in her head was getting interrupted by the ringing in her ears and the sound of her own breath. The air felt like it was compressing itself around her, trapping her. Ensnaring her. She dropped her head into her hands and began to sob. The obnoxious voice of her tough personality she's worked so hard to cultivate over the last decade was yelling into her ear:

"Emma cut the bullshit! You've put hundreds of people like her in jail and only gotten richer because of it! Just because she's part of the past of a stupid little girl, you're letting her get to you? Pathetic, Emma Swan! Absolutely pathetic!" 

That voice, that knowledge, only made her cry harder. That stupid little girl Emma tried so hard to bury deep inside her was crawling upwards again. She pulled her knees up to her chest so as to make herself smaller and stop that girl somehow. But it didn't help. She was still sobbing, her lips were trembling each time she breathed out, her chest was rising and falling every two seconds as she gulped down every breath of air with difficulty. Her entire body was shaking as tears poured down her face. 

 _"Poor little orphan Emma. You've been naughty haven't you"_  - Regina Mills' bored drawl was sounding as if she were nearby. Perhaps subconsciously, Emma knew that her old principal couldn't be that close to her, but she was too powerless to understand that properly. So she just cried harder. 

* * *

 

Emma had no idea how long she's been crying for, when a tap on her car window startled her. She pulled her hood over her head and didn't look up. 

Tap, tap, tap. 

"Go away!" - Emma tried to yell but her words came out in a hoarse whisper. 

Tap tap tap tap. 

She groaned and slowly raised her head. It was getting dark outside, and her vision was obscured with her own tears, but the tall dark silhouette was unmistakeable. 

Killian Jones was tapping on her car window. And he didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave. 

Emma groaned again and rolled her window down. At once, Jones stuck his hand in and opened the door from the inside, taking a seat beside her. 

"Breathe into this" - he said gruffly, handing her a paper bag, to which she was too stunned to react. When she didn't reach for it, he grabbed her hand and placed the bag into it. 

"Breathe" - he repeated. - "It'll help." 

Was it his stormy blue eyes that seemed to calm her down every time he looked at her? Or was it his accented voice, sending calming waves all over her? Whatever it was, it made her listen to him. She brought the bag up to her face and began to breathe heavily into it. 

"That's it. In and out" - he was speaking to her, but his words didn't have an impact nearly as strong as his tone of voice, his calming demeanour, his... charisma? 

After a minute, Emma put the bag down. 

"Thanks" - she said grudgingly, sneakily wiping away the stray tears from her cheek. Killian handed her a box of tissues, which she accepted, fuming at herself for letting him see her cry. 

"Alright?" - he asked when she wiped off the last of her mascara off her cheekbones. She nodded, sniffling. 

"I'm fine, Jones." He snorted. 

""Killian" will do". 

"Well, thanks, Killian. You can go now." Emma had no desire to prolong her humiliation even further. All she wanted was to get to the hotel and spend hours on research into Regina Mills. 

Killian cleared his throat. "Emma, you're in no state to drive and judging by the way you sprinted out of the hospital towards this car park, your plans clearly involved driving somewhere. Let me buy you a cuppa, it'll help."

"Well first of all - no thanks. Second of all - what my plans may or may not be isn't any of your concern. And thirdly - how do you even know who I am?!" - Emma's patience was running low. Killian shrugged, unfazed. 

"You told me when I was signing books for you. I trust your friend enjoyed the gift?"

Emma frowned. "What makes you think I was buying them for a friend?"

"Please. You are so not the type to enjoy fantasy" - he scoffed. She rolled her eyes. 

"And you would know this how?" 

"Easily. You can't stand made-up stuff. Must be sad." 

"I can't... stand made-up stuff?" 

"Because of your gift" - he explainedcalmly. 

"What gift? You keep mentioning it, but I really don't know what you're on about" - Emma replied just as calmly, placing what she was hoping was an innocent smile onto her face. He shrugged again. 

"Course you do. It's obvious. And for what it's worth - I quite admire you for handling it so well. I'd take my hat off if I were wearing it right now" - he added the last part with a soft chuckle, but Emma didn't relax. 

"Who are you?" - she hissed. He laughed again. 

"You know who I am. Killian Jones, writer of fantasy novels. That's all there is to this persona" - he replied, gesturing to himself. 

_100% truth. Sneaky bastard. What are you up to?_

"Having trouble, love?" - he leaned back on the passenger's seat, lights from the sunset dancing in his eyes. 

Emma was lost. And confused. Not once in her life did her power malfunction. When she was younger, she used to have trouble with calculating how much, and which part, of what a person was saying was lies. However, she has never failed to spot one. Even a tiny white one. 

Killian Jones was baffling. She wasn't completely unable to get a read on him, but it was like... like she was catching glimpses of him through white noise. Or like his words were spoken through a telephone with a really bad connection. Emma could not tell what the problem was. And she didn't like it. 

"Try something new, darling" - she heard him speak. - "It's called trust."

"Could you quit with your terms of endearement? I know you're British and all, but they are annoying" - Emma snapped automatically. Killian shrugged. 

"Sure. Now how about that tea, eh? There's a place not far from here called Granny's, I can grab us some. I gather you don't feel like being out and about in Storybrooke right now, am I right?" 

He was, and Emma hated to admit it. She waved him away. 

"Five minutes and I'm leaving."

She blinked and he was gone. She could see his retreating form running down to the diner and actually found herself smiling. If she were honest with herself, tea did sound pretty good right now. Or coffee. But he was, after all, British. 

"Did I make good time?" - she gasped for the second time that hour. Sure enough, the writer was back, and he was handing her a tall paper cup. 

"Careful, lo.. Emma. It's scorching hot" - he warned her, catching himself in time in the middle of saying "love". Emma nodded gratefully and took a sip of what turned out to be boiling hot green tea. 

"I thought coffee wasn't the best idea right now" - he offered, almost shyly. - "So, did I make good time?"

"Yeah.. Thanks.." - she replied. - "For the tea, I mean. And for being nice."

"'Nice' is my middle name" - he winked. - "Well actually it's Liam but my point still stands. Is it good?"

Emma nodded. She wasn't a regular green tea drinker - coffee was more up her alley - but Granny's tea was admittedly nice and it did have a calming effect... 

"So..." - Killian began, apparently unsure if he should ask a question. 

"Yeah?"

"Want to tell me about that gift of yours?" - he asked. Emma sighed. She was hoping to avoid this. Oh well, she wasn't the only one with secrets. 

"Do you?" - she fired back. 

"Do I what?"

"Do you want to tell me about yours?" 

His face darkened. 

"I don't have any gifts. Only a talent for making words into well-crafted sentences."

_Ok, this is getting ridiculous. I know for a fact you have a... something, so how are you concealing the truth?_

"Your abilities won't help you this time, Emma" - his voice was now devoid of the teasing edge he adopted earlier. He sounded serious. 

"Fine" - she conceded calmly. - "Want to tell me about whatever it is yourself?" 

He sighed. 

"Put it this way" - he began. - "I was telling the truth when we met. I do have a talent for writing, and I always have. I see no need to be modest about that."

"However..." - he turned away from Emma, facing the floor - "I do also carry a curse with me. A curse that happens to be a polar opposite of your gift."

"I don't understand?" - Emma was both confused and thrilled at the potential prospect of another person like her. 

"Short version - you can make people tell the truth, whereas I can make them believe lies."

"Huh?!" 

"You weren't wrong when you wondered about my books pulling people in. I write fantasy because... because it makes it easier."

"Makes what easier?" 

"The burden. The knowledge that you have that power over people. It's not something I can turn off at will. I never learnt how. Writing was - is - the only way I can cope. But it will never be enough, Emma."

"You.. you have an amazing gift, you can help people! Whereas I am... "

He didn't finish. Emma understood why. 

"You can.. persuade people to believe whatever you want them to believe" - she spoke after a long pause. He nodded. 

"That explains why my power doesn't work on you..." - she muttered, more to herself than to the writer. He nodded again. 

"I take it I was right about it?" - he finally asked. 

"Yeah. I can tell when a person is lying. It took me a while to learn to control it, to apply it properly, but I can now tell the exact moment lies begin and end." 

"That must've been hard when you were wee" - he whispered. Emma shrugged. 

"I made do." 

She didn't know why she was telling him this. Bar Ruby and Belle, she never shared her secret with anyone after Neal. Her mentor August Booth was the only other person who knew. 

"Don't worry, Emma. Your secret is safe with me" - Killian whispered. She looked up at him. 

 _100% truth_. 

Now that she knew that he could persuade her to think whatever she wanted, she should have been running. So why was she still here?

"Do you trust me to drive you to wherever it is you're staying?" - he asked. She hesitated but nodded. It was like Killian Jones knew exactly what she was thinking, what buttons to push. The last person she had that with has abandoned her alone in a jail cell. So why on earth was she trusting the writer? 

He drove slowly, clearly having a lot on his mind. Neither of them spoke. Whatever Emma wanted to believe, there was now a sort of an understanding between them. She couldn't make sense of it - the part of her that was understanding was buried deep inside her for almost ten years, and she intended for it to stay that way. 

"We're here" - Killian's voice cut through her confusion. She nodded. 

"Thanks again, Killian." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. 

"If you ever need to talk, call me" - he thrust the card into her hand. - "Or if you need anything at all. I'll be in town for a while." 

She nodded and he got out of the car. "I'll walk to the train station. Have a good night and don't be a stranger" - he winked and disappeared into the woods. 

Emma locked her car and walked to the front porch of the hotel. She had a lot to think about. 


	11. Companions

 

"Wow" - Ruby breathed out after Emma finished telling her about her day. 

"Yep" - she nodded. 

"I mean... wow!" 

"Seconded" - Belle piped in. Emma sighed and turned her face away from their astonished expressions. 

"What do you want us to do?" - Ruby asked. Emma was grateful for the absence of judgment in her tone. She wondered briefly whether it would have been present if she told them about Jones' power and its potential implications. 

"Investigate Regina. Pull out all the stops. Call Sidney, see if he can get us any gossip from any journalists that may have covered Regina's political career. I wanna know how that bitch gained so much power."

Belle flinched at Emma's ice-cold tone but Ruby was too used to it to care. She nodded. 

"What are you gonna do?"

"I am going to call Booth and make him tell me why he forgot to mention Regina to us" - Emma replied. Ruby nodded again.

"We'll give you some privacy. Come on Belle" - she stood up and walked towards the door, Belle following her. 

"We should be back in a couple of hours" - Ruby said warmly. - "Hope you feel better, Emma."

The blonde could only nod from her spot on the bed. She heard the door close and sighed in relief. She liked her colleagues - friends - but she really needed time to process everything she's learnt today. And in order to do that, she needed a drink.

Cursing the hotel for charging obscene amounts for the alcohol in the mini fridge, and herself for not stocking up, Emma took three tiny whiskey bottles out of the mini bar and poured the contents of one of them into a glass. The amber-coloured liquid burned her throat. She welcomed the sensation - it was better than an invisible hand with remarkably long nails scratching it from the bottom to the top. The events of the day left her feeling like she hasn't felt for a very long time. Emotionally drained. Usually, she was the one pushing her emotions down and making them disappear. But today, they were the ones with an upper hand. 

Normally, Emma had a drink after a case was particularly close to home - like the one two years ago. She was hired, coincidentally, by her old mentor Booth who wanted her to find a teenage girl's parents who abandoned her when she was an infant and were currently owners of one of the largest real estate companies in New York. Booth, it appeared, had a knack for assigning her to cases that, in his mind, would have extra-motivating factors for Emma. She followed her usual protocol of conducting an investigation into the parents who, it turned out, have gained their riches by stealing and defrauding creditors, giving them up to the authorities and blackmailing them for money for their child, and herself. She had no problem extracting the $28,000 - her usual "rate". However, she made sure that most of the money went to the girl. Because Emma Swan has never wanted anybody else to feel like she felt as a teen. 

Unwanted.

Abandoned. 

Lost. 

Nobody deserved to feel that way. Least of all, a teenager who has been a victim of circumstance her entire life. 

Emma may have been able to fool herself, to convince herself to believe that a certain amount of money was enough to fill the void in her chest. But cases like that one brought out the lost little girl deep inside her. She found like many before her, however, that a drink was a great, albeit temporary, way to bury the casket of emotions surrounding that abandoned child she once was, deeper within her. She did, however, surprise Ruby and Belle by being particularly aggressive towards the guilty parties in the first couple of cases that followed. They learnt a long time ago, however, that it was not the best idea to pry. 

Emma sighed. She was self-aware enough to know that anger, sadness and depression were the kinds of feelings she could squash with hard work and liquor. What she didn't know how to deal with, however, was... 

She didn't even know the proper name for it. 

She supposed she might have had known, once upon a time, when she shared her power with Neal, who understood and shown her his. But that time was long gone, and so was the young woman who had had experienced that particular feeling. Her time in jail and the time she spent with Booth and solving cases were very useful in helping her forget it. 

It wasn't pride, at least not all of it was. Emma has made her peace a long time ago - it was inevitable with the way she solved her cases - that a person like her had nothing to be proud of. She was fine with it, however - the various corrupt systems that kicked and pushed her around all her life had even less to boast about. What Jones... Killian has told her, however... 

Had he been a young, idealistic youth, Emma would have scoffed at everything he said and wouldn't have spared him a single thought. So why did she care about words uttered by a man who not only told lies for a living, but was literally a born liar? 

Did she even have the right to doubt him, after all the things she's done?

_Of course you do. Those people deserved it. And you have no reason to believe that Jones is like that._

But wasn't he? Emma was one hundred per cent certain that all the lowlives she's put away would've killed to have a power like his. Some probably have. She had a hard time believing that somebody with that kind of power wasted it on creating methods for people to escape reality. 

And after all, it was no coincidence that he was in town and that he knew Whale. And Emma was by then certain that the only pure thing about Whale was his crisp white gown. 

Little did she know that only ten miles from her, Killian Jones was unsettled by his own emotions just as much and was dealing with them equally as badly. 

 

* * *

 

_One year ago_

_Ring ring ring_

"Hello?" - Killian Jones answered. 

"It's Victor."

Killian froze. It's been over five years since the stranger calling himself Dr. Whale appeared in his life. 

Number of novels written in five years: Three

Number of movie adaptations: Two

Number of times Victor Whale resurfaced since: One. Today. 

"Judging by your stunned silence, I gather you weren't expecting my call?" 

"Victor. It has been a while since you revealed your little plan to me. I just assumed it fell through." - Killian replied. Victor laughed.

"You wound me, Killian. I am, after all, just as capable of using my gift as you are yours. It just took me longer than expected."

Killian snorted. 

"Please spare me the details of how you restored my brother's dead body. I truly don't want to know how great your healing touch is." 

"Suit yourself. Anyway, I'm calling because I'm ready for you to start Phase Two. Now, I know you're a busy man - congratulations on the movies by the way - so you take all the time you need. I know you're one hell of a communicator, but I'm still sending you as many details as I can remember about Gerhardt. I trust you can write a personality of your own brother yourself?"

"You don't have to worry about that" - Killian replied coldly. 

"Excellent! I'll be in touch." 

 _Beep_. Whale has hung up. 

Killian dropped the phone. His knees buckled and he felt his hands, his chest, his cheek hitting the midnight blue carpet of his living room. 

 

* * *

 

_Present day_

His hotel room was spacious enough to allow him to pace freely around it. However, he soon found that pacing was counterproductive. He obviously knew that from his (albeit infrequent) I-can't-write-a-damn-thing-maybe-moving-around-will-help days, but seeking a muse for his writing was not currently his priority. 

Who was this Emma girl? She wasn't a detective, he didn't need a lie detector of any kind to know that much. A bounty hunter of some sort maybe? That's what he would have done with his life if he had her gift. Or perhaps a lawyer. Although he hated them. And he wasn't naive enough to believe that a single man with a superpower would be able to change things. 

Whatever his feelings were about Whale, the man was a godsend. Killian has specifically arrived to Storybrooke, Maine under the pretence of a book signing in order to be closer to his brother when he has completed what needed to be done. For some bizarre reason, he believed that being that close to Liam, even in death, would bring him inspiration and smash the writer's block he's been experiencing for the past few weeks. It appeared, however, that he couldn't concentrate on his writing with the lie detector girl plaguing his mind. 

She seemed so in control. She must have had some lessons on how to manage the power, Killian thought. He himself has never had anybody to teach him about his power, never formally learnt how to control it. The only way of managing it that he knew of was writing. And that was going relatively well for the last week or so, until Emma appeared at his book signing. 

He noticed her straight away in the very first row. Unlike many others in the audience, she wasn't holding any of his books for signing. When that David guy, whom he now knew to be the Sheriff, asked his question, she perked up suddenly. Killian didn't think much of it, until she asked him the very same questions prior to purchasing an entire boxset of "The Land that Never Was". People who didn't bring books to his events for signing didn't purchase entire boxsets. Ever. So why was this girl poking around? 

Well, if she were hoping to find any clues inside his books, she was going to come up empty. His books were just works of fiction, albeit the most engaging kind. So she was just going to have to talk to him again. 

Not that that was such a terrible thing. Quite the opposite. 

Killian found himself wanting to talk to Emma again. Bar Whale, who didn't count because he was a douchebag, Killian has never met anybody like him. Could it really be possible? He longed to know more about her power, yearned to share as much as he could about his own. Or even just to talk to her. 

A kindred spirit. That was one thing Killian Jones has learnt a long time ago he could never have. Could his luck finally be turning around? 

He finally sat down on the bed, but fell onto his back almost right away, a grin spreading across his handsome face. He couldn't miss his chance. He briefly admonished himself for not asking for Emma's number, but his heart was full of hope that she would call him. Eventually. 

Companionship was one thing Killian Jones didn't have much of, but he knew already that if he were ever lucky enough to establish one with Emma, he would treasure it for the rest of his life. 

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Emma was occupied by a far less pleasant, but one much more familiar task. She was yelling into her mobile phone:

"How could you not tell me?! What else have you been hiding about this case?!"

...

"Answer me, Booth!"

...

"Booth!"

...

"Check my e-mail? Now? Why?!" 

...

"UGH!" - Emma cried out and hung up, throwing her phone onto the bed. She pulled out her laptop, plugged it in and pressed the "on" button. The tapping of her fingers on the table almost made her miss Ruby and Belle's return. 

"Hey Emma. You okay?" - Ruby asked, offering her a plastic cup. Emma took a sip and smiled. Ruby brought her favourite hot chocolate with cinnamon.

"Thanks, Ruby. I'm Okay, just waiting on an e-mail from Booth." - she replied. 

"About the case?"

"I would assume so" - she shrugged. Truthfully, she had no idea what else could Booth possibly be hiding. She clicked on her e-mail icon and sure enough, there was an unread e-mail from A. Booth. 

 

_Dear Emma,_

 

_I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I didn't know about Regina until a few days ago, I swear. However, I should have told you this a long time ago. Attached is the info on the missing persons, Graham Humbert and Baelfire Gold. I know you've already read their files, but as you've undoubtedly noticed, there were no photos. I'm sending them to you now._

 

_Don't think too badly of me when you see them._

 

_Your friend,_

 

_August._

 

"Well, open the attachments!" - Ruby encouraged her. Emma nodded and clicked on the first one. 

A handsome, tanned face of a blue-eyed brunette with a scruff was on her screen. He reminded Emma somewhat of Killian. 

"Cute" - Ruby added. Emma privately agreed, and cringed at the thought of his possible fate. 

"Who's the other one?" - Belle asked. 

Emma clicked on the second image and gasped. 

The tousled brown hair. The grey moustache. He's had a couple of new wrinkles around his eyes, that were the same shade of gray the last time Emma looked into them.

Her ex boyfriend's face was glaring at her from her laptop screen. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dunnn... Feedback is my bread and butter :) thanks for reading!


	12. Guns and Amber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again so much for reading! Who's ready for tonight's episode? I can't wait to see our faves again :) Unfortunately, I still don't own them or their TV show.

"Emma wait!" - Ruby called out but it was too late. Emma was already running down the stairs to the hotel lobby. She just had to get out of there. The last thing she expected right now was to have a mugshot of her felon ex thrown in her face, sending her entire case and her emotions into a vortex of what could well be the point of no return. 

It was dark outside, but she barely noticed. She ran out of the door and dashed towards her car, not caring if she was arrested for drunk driving. She had a million questions, but they would have to wait. 

Earlier that day, she spotted a building just off the main street of Storybrooke. A sign above the door said "Granny's Shooting Range". Why Granny, whoever that was, owned both a diner and an indoor shooting range, was not a question Emma felt like pondering. Right now, however, she was grateful for Granny's business model. 

She parked her car just behind the range and entered. 

"We're closed" - said an elderly fierce-looking woman behind the counter. Emma nodded, trying not to show her desperate state. 

"I'm sorry, I just really need to blow off some steam. I had a really crappy day and some target practice is the only thing that would make me feel better. Could you just please let me in? I'll pay extra." 

The woman that Emma guessed to be Granny rolled her eyes but stood up. 

"Follow me. You can stay for an hour, after that I'm kicking you out. Understand?"

Emma could only nod, barely paying attention. She longed for the cool metal of a deadly weapon in her hands. 

"Earmuffs and earplugs are over there" - Granny pointed at a table. - "I assume you know how to shoot a gun?"

"Yes."

"Well, thank God for small mercies. One hour." - she repeated and left Emma to her own devices. 

Finally! She dashed towards the table, placed earmuffs on her head and loaded the '38. Thankfully, the images of targets were already hanging across the room, on the other side of the bullet-proof glass. Emma approached the closest window, shrugged off her jacket and took aim. 

 

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

 

Five bullets. Five shots. Five holes in the target. Emma's mouth curled into a cold smile. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't picturing Neal Cassidy - or was it Baelfire? - in place of a person drawn on the target. She pulled a lever on her right and the scorched target pulled itself closer. 

Leg. Head. Head again. Stomach. Heart. 

BINGO. 

"Take that, asshole" - Emma hissed at the offending piece of paper. Suddenly, her neck prickled as though somebody was watching her. She gritted her teeth and turned around, gun in her hands. 

"Woah, easy there!" - Killian Jones cried out. Emma sighed and pulled off the earmuffs. 

"Are you out of your freaking mind? I'm holding a gun, what the hell's wrong with you?!" - she shouted. He didn't reply but approached the glass to get a better look at the paper. 

"Not bad" - he said approvingly. - "Who's he supposed to be?"

"My ex" - Emma answered grudgingly. He nodded in understanding. - "What are you doing here?" 

"There's a bar down the street, I was going to get a pint but saw that the light was on. Thought I'd check it out" - he shrugged in response. - "How about you? Couldn't sleep?" 

As pleasant as he was being, Emma didn't feel like divulging her dark past yet. "Something like that" - she replied vaguely. She could tell by his squint that he knew she wasn't telling him something but he shrugged, as though accepting her answer for the moment. 

"Yeah, me neither.." - he muttered. - "So, shall we?" - he gestured to the booth next to Emma's, where a fresh target was hanging across the room. 

"Shall we what?" 

He grabbed another gun and handed it to her to load, proceeding to load another one for himself.  

"Really?" - she asked, surprised at his move. - "I thought you wanted a drink?"

"A gunshot would do just as nicely, don't you agree?" - he smiled and winked at her, walking over to a booth next to hers. Emma had to agree. 

She briefly wondered how come Granny hasn't kicked him out of the establishment the moment he walked in, but immediately wanted to kick herself. Of course Granny would. He's probably told her some outrageous story, which she believed immediately... 

After they both fired five times, Killian stepped out of the booth and raised his hand, taking off the earmuffs. Emma did the same. 

"Alright there, Emma?" - he asked, smirking as she looked over her target. Five bullet holes were clearly visible on the paper. She nodded. 

"So who is this guy then? Another ex?" - he wondered, putting the gun and the muffs away. 

Emma was about to brush off his question again, but she was so pumped on adrenaline, she decided to bite the bullet (pun intended). 

"Nope. That's the dear old mayor of this charming town" - she crumbled the piece of paper and threw it in the bin without looking at it twice. Killian nodded. 

"So, how do you know her exactly?" - he asked. Emma shrugged. 

"Why do you care?" 

"Just making conversation" - he averted his eyes and Emma knew right away that he was lying. She decided to let it slide this time. 

"She's just someone from my past who screwed me over pretty badly once."

"I see" - his face was in the shadows and it was impossible for Emma to tell what was going on in his head. For some strange reason, his lack of apparent reaction to her admission unsettled her. 

"I think I would like that drink now" - words slipped out from her mouth before she could stop them. Did she just ask that strange liar dude to buy her a drink?! 

He didn't seem to mind, however. - "Follow me" - he replied, smiling, obviously pleased. 

 

* * *

 

They sat down across from each other at a little pub down the street called "The Rabbit Hole". Killian bought four glasses of Scotch, and Emma downed one after another, only grimacing for a second each time. 

"You sure you're alright there, lass?" - he asked. Was it Emma's imagination, or did he actually sound concerned? 

"I'm fine" - she grunted. Killian bit his lip and leaned forward. 

"I may not be the type to try and pry secrets from drunk people, but you do look like you have something eating you, Emma." - he said softly. He didn't mention that from the moment he met her, he could tell that something has been eating her for a very long time. Tonight, however, it was much more prominent. He didn't know how he knew this, but he was more than willing to be her confidant for the night. 

"Yeah? What's it to you?" - Emma snapped. Unlike him, she wasn't in a sharing mood. Especially not in the mood to share personal things with a person who made his living by twisting other people's realities. 

 _"Hypocrite"_  - a small voice piped in her head, but she ignored it. A hurt expression flashed momentarily on Killian's face but was soon replaced with a smirk Emma was used to by now. 

"Call me a concerned citizen?" - he uttered. Emma had to laugh. 

"What, you concerned that I'll use my power on Regina and expose her for the lying, power-hungry corrupt bitch she is?" 

Whatever Killian was expecting, it clearly wasn't that. He looked horrified, his eyes wide and his eyebrows almost touching his black fringe. 

"No, I was just..."

"Because that is exactly what I'm going to do" - Emma hissed, leaning forward. Killian was too stunned to reply, and that gave her an advantage. She stood up.

"Thanks for the drink" - she stated and made a move to walk out. However, the several drinks she's had this evening, before and after her playtime at the range, apparently had something to say about that. 

"Emma!" - Killian stood up at once and caught her by the waist, right before she hit the floor. 

"I'm fine..." - she began to protest but he sat her back down, taking a seat next to her. 

"You are NOT fine" - he stated firmly. - "Have you had any other drinks tonight, before I bumped into you?"

"Yes?" 

"How many? Emma, how much have you had to drink?" - why was he so insistent upon knowing that?

"I don't know..." - she slurred, suddenly feeling exhausted. - "A few bottles of scotch from the mini-bar?" 

"And your first thought was to go out and shoot a gun?!" - he exclaimed. - "Emma, you could've hurt yourself!" 

"Nah... Can shoot fine..." - she yawned. 

"Yes I could tell that much! Come on, where's your car? I'll drive you back to the hotel" - he suggested firmly. 

"No... Ruby 'n Belle will start nagging..." 

Killian had no idea who Ruby or Belle were, but he decided to take her word for it. 

"I'm sure they will be worried about you if you don't come home, Emma" - he tried to insist. Emma, however, appeared to have other plans. 

"No... they'll ask questions..." 

"I'm sure they'll wait till tomorrow when they see you like this" - he attempted to reason with her again, trying to help her stand up. 

"No.. tomorrow will have to talk to them... Don't want to..." - she leaned against the back of the bench, not intending to move. 

Killian sighed. It seemed that all his efforts to get her to move were to end up in vain. He gave up. 

"Why not, lass?" - he asked gently, deciding to go with it. 

"They..." - but Emma's energy has apparently evaporated into thin air just as quickly as her drinks went into her system.

"They what, love?" - he's forgotten about her dislike of terms of endearement.

"They don't know... about Neal…" 

"Who's Neal, Emma?" - she looked so broken when she muttered his name, Killian's heart lurched painfully in his chest. She didn't respond.

"Is Neal your ex? Emma? Emma!" 

But she couldn't hear him. Her neck apparently deemed itself no longer fit to support her head, which dropped onto Killian's shoulder. He yelped in surprise. 

"Emma? Are you okay? Give me your phone, I'll call your friends to come get you" - he tried again, but the soft rhythmic breathing into his ear made it clear that it was pointless. Emma was asleep. 

"Crap. What the hell do I do now?" - Killian whispered to himself. 

He certainly couldn't take her back to his place - his trip may have been clandestine and last-minute, but it didn't mean that the papparazzi weren't lurking around somewhere. And the last thing he needed were headlines and photos him taking an unconscious girl up to his room. He wasn't that guy. He didn't want to be that guy. And he were honest with himself, he really didn't want this girl taking up space on his bed.

"Not like this, anyway". 

"Woah, where the hell did that come from?!" - Killian bit his tongue to stop himself saying that out loud. Emma was a beautiful woman, of course. But was he really into her like that?

* * *

 

It was no secret that James Hook was popular with women. And he loved it. More often than not, he would find himself being enticed by some beautiful lady or other. He almost never said no - sex was a great distraction. One of the best in fact, not least because he has never, not once in his life, used his power to get a woman into bed. He didn't count encounters with those fans who were a little too into his romantic thrillers - they still acted on their own will. And James Hook knew when to back off. He has hardly ever had to, though

Killian Jones, however, was a different story. Women approached him almost as often, but he usually turned them down, unless he was feeling particularly lonely that night. He wanted to move on from James Hook, and that included destroying the "playboy" image. 

Neither James Hook, nor Killian Jones, liked relationships. The last relationship Killian had, before he became a famous novelist, was with a woman who passed away years ago. She was the one who inspired him to write his first novel Whale claimed to love so much. "A Coward's Wife" was a bestseller for several weeks, thus turning James Hook into a celebrity. People all over the world loved the book. One reader who called himself Robert Gold even went as far as to stalk James Hook because he has apparently fallen in love with the woman in the book. He hasn't bothered the writer since he published his last book as James Hook, though, for which Killian was grateful. 

* * *

 

He sighed and reached for Emma's purse, hoping that her phone was there. He really didn't want to rummage through Emma's pockets. Fortunately, the iPhone was inside her bag. Killian pressed the button, smiling briefly at her background - a picture of New York at night - and browsed through her contact list. Finally finding Ruby, he clicked on her name. 

"Emma where are you?!" - a young woman's frantic voice answered. 

"She is at The Rabbit Hole in Storybrooke. She's fine, just had too many drinks. Are you Ruby?" 

"Yeah... Who's this?"

"My name is Killian Jones, I'm with Emma right now. Can you drive down and get her?" 

"No, I don't have a car!" - this Ruby person was clearly panicking. Killian sighed. 

"Alright, I can drive her car to your hotel. Can you meet me outside in about half an hour?"

"Yes, of course! But..."

Killian already hung up. He felt a little bad about cutting the girl off, but he had to get Emma to the car as soon as possible. Grabbing his hoodie and pulling the hood over his head, he nudged Emma who was now asleep in a sitting position with her head tilted back and her blonde locks obscuring her face. 

"Emma love? Wake up for me?" - he called softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She immediately nestled into him. He stiffened. 

"Come on, Emma..."

No response other than soft breathing. He sighed, placed her phone back in her purse and grabbed it. Then he tightened his arm around her shoulders and placed his other under her knees, lifting her gently. He carried her outside, ignoring the stares of the few remaining customers. 

When Killian walked out, he sighed again. The streets were completely dark, and he had no idea where Emma's car was. Hoping that she's parked it somewhere near the range and that he was going the right way, he began to walk. 

Emma wasn't heavy, but Killian was exhausted. After what seemed like hours, he finally found the car park with a sole yellow Bug at the very back of it. He all but ran across the park. When he was right outside the car, he bit his lip. Cursing himself for not thinking of it sooner, he gently placed Emma in a sitting position on the hood and hastily slipped his hand into her purse, feeling for the car keys. Thanking his fortunes again that Emma kept the important things in her bag and not her pockets, Killian clicked on the button and the Bug's lights flashed. He opened the back door and gently laid Emma on the back seat, ensuring that she wasn't facing the floor. She made no acknowledgment of a sudden change in her position, other than a grunt. Killian climbed into the driver's seat and drove the tiny yellow car for the second time that day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know how that happened haha. I’m sorry about any mistakes – I know next to nothing about shooting ranges :/ And yep - this story will have Gold. Did you like my twist on his story arc? Did you like it? Hate it? Press that button below and tell me!


	13. A Car for a Jacket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahoy, shipmates! Everybody's hearts still intact? Hahahahaha.  
> Look at me using lame jokes to numb the pain brought by that episode.  
> If I owned OUAT, Gold wouldn't try and kill Emma in the very same room him and Belle banged (probably).

_POUND POUND POUND_

_Please stop exploding inside my head and go kill yourself._

_..._

_Seriously, stop!_

_Make it stop!_

 

Something, or somebody was trying to break free out of her skull and most likely was using sledgehammers to complete their task. Not only that, but that someone was also shaking her shoulder. 

 

_Go away._

 

_No seriously, get the fuck out before I beat you up with a baseball bat._

 

_Oh my God, my eyes! My head! Bad light! Bad, bad light!_

 

"Good morning!" 

 

_Shut the fuck up, you loud person, and leave me alone to die._

 

_No no no! What are you doing! Need the blanket!_

 

"Come on, Emma. I have a venti cup of espresso with your name on it! Literally!”

An arm reached towards Ruby from underneath the pillow.

"Nope, nope, nope! I'm going to put it over here at your bedside table and you're gonna sit up and drink it."

"Die" - a raspy one-word response was the only reaction Ruby received. She rolled her eyes.

"Emma Swan, if you don't get up in the next minute, I'm pulling this pillow out from underneath your head. And then I'm calling Killian Jones."

"Die twice" - Emma mumbled, having no idea why Ruby was talking about some guy named Killian Jones and why she was supposed to be scared by the fact that Ruby was about to call him. 

The smell of coffee evaded her senses, however. She had to have that espresso Ruby mentioned. 

But it was so far away... 

"UGH! I hate all of you and I want that coffee!" - Emma tried to yell and sit up but that just increased the amount and the speed of sledgehammers pounding on her skull. She fell back on the sheets. 

"Come on Emma, you can do it!" - Belle's annoyingly chipper voice was NOT welcome. Emma glared in a direction from which it seemed to be coming. Slowly, she moved her upper body into a sitting position and grabbed the steaming paper cup from the bedside table. 

The first sip of the pitch-black liquid burnt her tongue but she didn't wince, too distracted by the pounding in her head, which weren't helped by a loud knock on the door.

"UGH!" - Emma said again as Belle went to answer. 

"Can I help you?" - Belle asked a young man in a red and black uniform.

"Room service" - he replied cheerfully, rolling a tray into the room.

"We didn't order any" - Belle frowned. 

"I know" - the man replied. - "It was paid for last night by Mr Jones."

"As in Killian Jones?"

He shrugged. "I guess so. Let me know if you need anything else, ma'am." He exited the room. 

"Well, how about that" - Ruby mused. - "Does he like you or something?" 

Emma missed the whole exchange, however - she was trying to drink her coffee with her eyes closed. So Ruby's question made no sense to her. 

"Does who like me?" - she muttered hoarsely. 

"Killian Jones! You know, the guy who bought you hangover breakfast?" - Ruby was gaping at the tray that contained plates with bacon, hash browns, toast, a jug of orange juice, a bottle of aspirin and a folded piece of paper. 

"Who is Killian..." 

 

_OH SHIT_

 

Regina's appearance in the hospital.

 

Killian Jones taking care of her.

 

Neal's picture

 

Bumping into Killian Jones at the shooting range.

 

Getting drunk with Killian Jones

 

"Oh my God..." - Emma uttered, as the memories came flooding back. She was absolutely, completely, utterly mortified. Did she seriously entice Killian freaking Jones, a novelist and a born liar, to get hammered with her?! 

"Oh my God..." - Emma said again and buried her face in her hands, setting the coffee cup back on the bedside table. She groaned, but Ruby laughed. 

"I've never seen you this hangover before! You are not embarrassed are you? Just to remind you, he was nothing short of a perfect gentleman last night."

"Huh?" - the details of her night were still fuzzy. 

"Well, he drove you back here and helped us take you upstairs. You were quite reluctant to let him go, however" - Ruby smirked.

 

_OH GOD_

 

Emma's thoughts must have shown on her face, because Ruby waved off her concerns.

"It wasn't that bad! You just gripped onto his jacket and wouldn't let go for ages. You were whispering something about being warm. And I must say - after seeing him in person, I totally understand!"

Belle coughed from across the room and Ruby sent her a sheepish smile. 

"You know what I mean! Anyway, he told us to ask you to give him a call when you woke up. Do you feel like doing that or do you want to have some of that delicious-looking breakfast he apparently bought for us?" 

Emma was about to protest and tell Ruby that she was planning to spend the rest of the day in bed and never speak to Killian Jones again, but her mouth watered at the sight of the tray Belle was holding. She set it on Emma's lap.

"Come on, eat up. You can thank him later. Oh, and there's a note with your name on it."  
Emma's gaze fell onto the piece of paper, and she reached for it, hoping that it told her that last night was nothing but a dream.

No such luck. 

 

 _Dearest Emma -_  it said in a ridiculously nice penmanship. Bloody writers.

 

_I sincerely hope that you aren't feeling too rough this morning, but judging from the amount of alcohol you consumed last night, I'd say that's unlikely. I asked the hotel staff to bring you up some hangover food around 11ish - you'd probably be sleeping in after the night you've had._

_In case you don't remember last night very well, you've had a little too much to drink at The Rabbit Hole and weren't in any fit state to drive so I drove you back to your hotel and made sure you were in good hands of your two lovely friends. I then drove your car back to my own hotel, I hope that's alright. If you do remember, you're probably rather embarrassed right now, but I guarantee, there is no reason to be. You didn't do anything wrong, I swear. I know you must think me a liar, but I ask that you trust me on this._

 

_Give me a call when you get this please. I'll drive the car back to your place._

 

_Yours sincerely,_

 

_Killian L. Jones._

 

_P.S. If you don't mind, I would really like my jacket back._

 

* * *

 

"His jacket?" - Emma asked nobody in particular, puzzled. 

"Over there" - Belle pointed at the chair across the room. Sure enough, a black leather jacket was hanging on its back. 

"Why.."

"Like I said, you seemed to really like it, so he let you hold onto it." - Ruby explained, a teasing glint in her eyes. 

Emma groaned again. Hangovers were amongst her least favourite things in the world. She hardly ever had them, but when she did, it was bad. Really bad. Her-body-hurt-all-day-and-she-couldn't-function-without-coffee kind of bad. 

"Dig in!" - Ruby exclaimed. - "It's getting cold." 

Emma hesitantly tasted a strip of bacon. To her surprise, it didn't make her want to retch. It was actually very tasty. As was everything else on the tray, she found out, after a few minutes of silence, only broken by the sounds of chewing. 

"Why did you let him take my car?" - Emma asked Ruby after they were done. Ruby frowned.

"I wasn't exactly going to let him wait for the train that wasn't coming for another three hours when he was only clad in a shirt, was I?" 

Emma shrugged. She didn't like the idea of someone else driving her car, but it appeared that Killian Jones has become her designated driver yesterday. 

"Well, I want it back" - Emma declared. Ruby tossed her her phone. 

"Then call him and ask him to drive it back here!" Emma pursed her lips. The note did very little to reassure her. And despite his promise of telling the truth, she couldn't rule out the possibility that he was manipulating her with his power through his words. After all, he did that to every single one of his readers... 

"Can't you do it?" - Emma asked hopefully. 

"Not. Happening. Don't be a coward, Swan. Everyone gets drunk and does stupid things sometimes. And he seemed to not care about that. 

"FINE!" - she glared at her friends and her phone. Truth be told, the last thing she wanted was to interact with a man to whom she's revealed more than she's ever planned about herself. But she really did need her car back...

 

**_ES: Hey Killian, it's Emma Swan here. I just wanted to apologise for the way I acted last night and for causing you to go through all the trouble. And for apparently nicking your jacket, even though I don't remember it at all. You can be reassured - I am paying for it right now. Thank you so much for making sure I got home. And for breakfast, it was lovely but completely unnecessary. Can I ask you to bring the car over ASAP? I'll meet you downstairs with your jacket. - E._ **

 

Not even a minute later, her phone vibrated.

 

**_KJ: Hi Emma! I'm really glad that you are alright. There's no need for you to apologise for anything, and it was no trouble at all. Don't worry about taking my jacket - I mean I did go home in your car ;) I'll leave in about 20 x. - K._ **

 

Emma couldn't suppress a smile at his quip and mentally kicked herself. What was she doing, laughing at jokes of some guy who was practically a stranger? Although she supposed their last night's shenanigans could move him up to the status of pleasant acquaintances... 

"He'll be here soon. I'm gonna go jump in the shower" - Emma stated, getting out of bed and groaning as she realised she was still wearing her last night's clothes. 

The hot shower made her feel slightly better, but she still had a pounding headache. Making a mental note to give Killian a separate thank you for the bottle of aspirin, she swallowed two pills, washing them down with a glass of orange juice. 

"Better?" - Belle asked softly. Emma nodded and changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a sweater. 

"When he gets here, I'm going to drop him off at his hotel and then I'll get on with the case." - she announced. She had to feel productive. 

"Speaking of..." - Ruby began. - "Are you gonna tell us why you ran out on us last night as soon as you saw that picture of the missing guy?" 

Emma sighed. 

"I will. But not now. Did you guys manage to reach Sidney?"

Ruby nodded. - "Yep. He said he'll dig something up and e-mail us today or tomorrow at the latest."

Emma shook her head. "No. Call him and tell him to use the old-fashioned method. I don't trust Regina if she has as much power as she appears to."

"Pigeons? Really?" - Belle looked sceptical. - "What if there's a lot of stuff? I know you don't like e-mails and technology, but one carrier pigeon can't carry an entire file."

Emma frowned. She hated to admit it, but Belle was right. "Fine. But tell him to at least use our code. Anything else?"

"Nope, sorry. But do you want us to keep digging into that Baelfire Gold dude?" 

Emma hesitated. Did she want to go down that road? Did she want to know what Neal's been up to since he put her in jail ten years ago? Was she strong enough to handle all that?

"No" - she finally replied. - "Not yet. I'll let you know."

Ruby nodded, just as Emma's phone vibrated.

 

 ** _KJ: Downstairs x. - K_**  

 

"See you later" - she grabbed the leather jacket from the chair, waved goodbye and walked down the stairs to the lobby. Sure enough, the writer was sitting on the plush maroon sofa, lazily playing with the Swan keychain on her car keys. He rose when he saw her approaching and smiled. 

"Miss Swan. I do hope you're feeling well this morning?" 

She nodded. "Hey. Yeah I'm okay. Here's your jacket by the way."

He nodded and took it, putting it on immediately. 

"Thank you. Here's your car keys." 

Emma smiled. "Cheers. Let's go, I'll drive you back to Storybrooke."

"That's really not necessary, I can just get the train.." - he began to protest, but Emma put up her hand to silence him.

"It's the least I could do."

Both Emma and Killian remained tense for the duration of the car ride. As she parked outside the bed and breakfast he was apparently staying in, Emma turned to face him. 

"I just want to thank you again. For looking after me last night. And for the breakfast. And the aspirin. You really didn't have to do any of those things, Killian. But I'm very grateful." 

He nodded. "It was my pleasure. Thanks for the ride."

He opened the door and stepped out of the car. Emma held out her hand for him to shake, but instead he brought it up to his lips. 

"I do hope I make a nice pillow" - he whispered against her skin. - "Have a nice day, Emma Swan." And he closed the door, smirking at her stunned expression.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of an interlude before things get out of control *evil laugh*. Reviews keep the writing juices flowing :)


	14. Fire and Ice

Emma didn't get a chance to even consider begging the ground to swallow her out of mortification, however. Before she could form a thought, she spotted a familiar figure walking on the sidewalk towards Storybrooke Memorial. She placed the key in the ignition and honked, waving at their direction. The Sheriff ceased his walk, turned around and raised his hand in recognition. Emma climbed out of her car, smiling at him.

"Good morning, Sheriff" - she spoke with a false cheer in her voice. 

"Good morning, Detective Swan" - he replied politely. - "How's the investigation going? I didn't even notice you disappearing yesterday."

"It's Emma. And I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye, I suddenly got struck by an inspiration for a lead" - she lied smoothly. He nodded.

"Was it a good lead?"

"Unfortunately not. Turned up empty." - Emma replied. - "How's your wife doing?"

Nolan sighed. "Still can't remember a thing, unfortunately. The only thing that seems to make sense to her is her gift."

That gift, again. What was it Killian Jones said at the hospital, about both Mary Margaret and Emma having it? How can that be? 

"Her gift?"

"Yeah" - he run his hand through his blonde hair uncertainly. - "You probably won't believe me if I told you" - he tried to cover up his hesitation with a fake laugh. Emma took a step towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Try me. I've encountered plenty of strange things in my life, I'm sure it wouldn't faze me."

Nolan looked around quickly and leaned towards Emma. "She.. well, I guess you could call it a lie detector in her head. She's always been able to tell when people are lying to her. I didn't understand it at first, but I love her. All of her. Although as you can imagine, it makes it harder for me to hide the beer in our place" - he tried to joke but the look in his eyes was unmistakeable. He was grieving for a woman he loved who didn't have the slightest idea who he was. Every word of his speech was true. Emma felt bad for him for the second time in two days. 

"It's definitely not the weirdest thing I've ever come across, trust me" - she reassured him with a smile. - "So I'm guessing it also makes it harder for her pupils to come up with excuses about their homework, huh?" - she attempted to ease the tension. Nolan frowned.

"Her pupils?" 

Damn, Emma thought. "Well, you told me she was a teacher, so I just assumed..." 

"Oh right, yes. And yes, you are completely right. So, you're not freaked out or anything?" - the relief in his blue eyes was evident. Emma nodded and reassured him that she was completely alright with it.

 "Well, that's a relief! And I just wanted to say again that I'm sorry for running out on you the other day. I don't know what came over me" - he blushed. Emma waved him away. 

"No need, Mr Nolan. They say that a person can feel strange things when something happens to their loved one. I understand."

"Yeah they do say that, don't they" - he laughed softly. - "Did you have any more questions for me about your case?" 

Emma bit her lip in thought. She had a very quick choice to make as to which line of investigation she wanted to pursue. Neal or Whale? A thousand thoughts assailed her head at once, chanting "Neal Neal Neal". She shuddered. 

"Emma? You OK?" - Nolan asked noticing her discomfort. She cleared her throat and nodded. 

"Yeah, sorry. And yeah, I did. Do you remember a man named Graham Humbert? He disappeared at the same time as N.. Mr Gold. He used to be the Sheriff here?" 

Nolan furrowed his eyebrows. 

"Yes, he does ring a bell. He was never found though, unfortunately."

"Did you work on the case?"

"I did, yes. I remember these two cases be particularly exhausting. And they weren't ever solved. But I guess that's why you're here, right?" 

Emma nodded. He wasn't lying - he really had no idea about any of this. She drew an imaginary red line through his name in the suspect list she had in her head, relieved. She liked Sheriff Nolan, he wasn't nearly as bad as her boss on her day job in New York or any corrupt policemen she's dealt with over the years. 

Currently, Regina Mills and Victor Whale occupied the top spots on the list. Her former boyfriend Neal Cassidy, or whatever his name was, was somewhere in the middle. And, while Emma didn't particularly like it, Killian Jones was remaining on the list until he was in the clear. A lift home and a tray of hangover food did not make him innocent. 

"Did Dr Whale treated Mr Humbert too?" - she asked, even though she already knew the answer. 

Nolan nodded. "I think so. But like I told you - he's a good man. He's kept Mary Margaret alive for all these years." 

At what cost though, Emma thought, but didn't voice her suspicions. Instead, she asked:

"Do you remember why Mr Humbert was receiving treatment?"

"He had a heart condition, I believe. A rare one."

_You may believe it, but is it really the truth?_

"And did Mr Gold also have a heart condition?" - She also knew the answer to this. Or did she? 

Nolan looked away. - "I don't know what was wrong with him exactly. Dr. Whale.. Victor, he told me it was a genetic thing, but I never really understood properly".

_Genetic? Neal had a genetic disease_

That opened a realm of possibilities for Emma. Did she even know the man who shattered her heart and trust a mere decade ago? She hesitated again. She chose only a minute ago not to follow the Neal trail, but was that really the best thing to do in the circumstances? 

Damn it, Emma, she reprimanded herself. Are you really gonna let him get away with this... whatever it is?

"Have... have you ever met either Mr Humbert or Mr Gold?" - she asked finally. Nolan shook his head. 

"I've never known them personally. But as I told you, Mr Humbert was loved in this town. And since you have been hired by a friend of Mr Gold's, I'd assume he was a good man as well." 

_No he wasn't. But you don't need to know that yet._

Emma was opening her mouth to ask whether he thought Humbert and Gold knew each other, but a loud wailing of a siren interrupted her. 

"Shit!" - Nolan cursed and dived into his pocket to retrieve a walkie-talkie. 

"This is Nolan. What's happening? Over."

A walkie-talkie screeched for a moment but a male voice replied:

"Hood to Nolan. Fire in the hospital. Get there now! Over and out." 

Nolan paled and dropped the device on the pavement. 

"Mary Margaret" - he whispered. Emma caught on. 

"Come on, I'll drive you!" - she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him towards her car. He followed blindly, as though he was in shock. Which Emma supposed he was. 

Emma wasn't afraid of fire. No more than people usually were, anyway. But judging by Nolan's almost catatonic state, he clearly had issues with it. She knew, however, that this wasn't the best time. 

The one perk of having to drive a Sheriff when his wife was stuck in a burning building was that Emma could go as fast as she possibly could without consequences brought by the law enforcement. They reached Storybrooke Memorial just under three minutes and Nolan seemed to have awakened from whatever nightmare was plaguing him. He shot out of the car faster than Emma could blink and ran towards the tongues of the flame that engulfed the building. 

Emma jumped out of the car to follow him, but the ringing in her back pocket stopped her.

"Not a good time, Ruby!" - she barked, running towards the red fire truck. 

"Emma! I saw the fire on the news!" - Ruby cried out. - "The rooms we saw on the security tape? They are not on the blueprints and there is no way the firemen would get there on time!" 

Emma paled and hung up. 

Shit, shit, shit. 

She had to tell the firemen. She had to tell someone. 

"Ma'am, we need you to step back" - a man holding a hose yelled out to her. 

"Please! There is a room in that hospital with two patients that's not on the blueprints. It's really old, and there are no fire extinguishers, nothing! The Sheriff is trying to get in there! His wife is down there! Please, you have to listen to me!"

She was crying. When did she start crying? The man nodded and yelled something to his partner. 

"Ma'am, we'll take care of this. You need to step back now!" - he barked, but Emma pushed him away.

She didn't give a damn that the scorching ground was going to burn through her boots. She didn't care that her hair might her singed. The thought that she might pass out from the smoke and burn to death didn't even cross her mind. All she knew was that she had to save David Nolan and Mary Margaret Blanchard and she didn't for one second stopped to think how and why. 

She barely acknowledged the burning heat slapping her face as she ran down the stairs she knew well by now. She only stopped for a few seconds to cough out the smoke that was undoubtedly poisoning her lungs and ran into the room.

Nothing could have prepared her for the scene occurring before her eyes.

The room was completely devoid of flames. However, it was the brightest thing Emma has seen today. 

What was going on could only be described as a work of art. Silvery-white silhouettes of blurry shapes, barely discernible by the naked eye, covered the perimeter of the room. Their shine eclipsed the brightness of any fire and would have blinded the girl if it weren't radiating... Emma didn't know exactly what it was - some sort of energy or the nature's magic she's never seen before, but it has penetrated her clothes and her skin down to her very heart. She felt warmth spreading throughout her body - not the deadly kind of heat that had been chasing her down the stairs just a few moments previously, but the kind of warmth she has not felt for a long time. This kind of warmth came from people who considered Emma their daughter from when she was nine years old until the day she ran away. Tears welled in her eyes, but she hastily decided that they were a result of the smoke. Blinking a few times, she was finally able to distinguish the two beds.  

Mary Margaret's bed was occupied by the dark-haired woman who was apparently asleep, not fazed in the slightest by the disaster occurring just outside her room. David Nolan, seemingly oblivious to the beauty surrounding him, was kneeling beside her and weeping tears of joy. Emma sighed with relief and turned to the bed across the room. As during Emma's last visit, the bed was occupied by a willowy blonde. However, her state was far from what Emma remembered. Her eyes were still closed, but her arms were raised, her palms facing the ceiling. When she looked up at them and squinted, Emma gasped. Tiny little white particles were flitting slowly from the woman's fingertips down to the floor. Emma brought her hand up and one speck fell on her palm. It was ice cold. Emma blinked. What was happening? 

When she opened her eyes, all what was left on her palm was a tiny droplet of water. Emma stood there with her mouth open and her eyes wide. Could this woman actually make it snow? Could she really have decorated the room with the brilliant ornaments all around them? Were they...?

She touched the one closest to her with her finger and pulled away immediately. 

They were. The artwork was made of ice. 

"She froze the flames" - a voice spoke softly behind her, making her jump. She didn't realise how entranced she became with the new additions to the room. 

"I.. beg your pardon?" 

"The room was on fire when I opened the door. The flames were literally licking the walls. I was close to fainting, Emma. And I think I did pass out. When I came to, this is what I saw." - Nolan explained from his spot beside Mary Margaret's bed. 

Adding this to the list of things that made no sense, Emma sighed. 

"Is she okay?" - she asked, pointing at Mary Margaret. Nolan nodded. 

"I think so. She's just sleeping, but I need to call Victor to make sure she hasn't inhaled too much smoke" - he stood up and flipped open his phone. 

Emma turned away from him. That man's face was like a freaking open book. He may have been still as a painting on the way here, but his eyes reflected the fear and devastation boiling within him. As his voice echoed from the walls, Emma changed her train of thought to a more familiar territory.

What was the cause of the fire? 

She didn't believe for one second that it may have been an accident. For one, she hasn't seen anyone resembling a medic on the street, which meant that the hospital was practically empty, save for the patients. Besides, it was a perfect way to kill someone without drawing any attention to yourself. And secrets seemed to be ruling this town. 

Well, secrets and Regina Mills. And that was not a good combination. 

But who set the fire?

Was it Whale? Regina? Who could have something to gain by killing a patient? 

And who was the woman who could freeze the room?  
Why did people in this town seem so ordinary, yet they were nothing but?

Emma felt overwhelmed by the situation. The room was spinning before her eyes. She gasped, trying to regain control, but the next moment everything went black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe who saw that one coming? Review please!


	15. The Smoking Gun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everybody!

 

The huge fluffy pillow did very little to drown out the beeping noises, which were made even less pleasant by the oygen tube leading towards her nose. She groaned, trying to move the tubes away from her face, but a man's hand on hers stopped her. 

"Easy now, Emma. You've inhaled quite a bit of smoke I'm afraid." She blinked, twice, confused as to why Dr Whale was speaking to her. 

"Where am I?" - she muttered - a pristine white room she was in did not in any way resemble what she imagined a post-arson hospital room would look like. 

"My place" - another voice answered. David Nolan walked into the room, smiling. - "Good to see you awake, Emma."

"Awake? What..?" What was she doing in Nolan's place? 

She was in the hospital just moments ago... It was burning down but the Sheriff went in anyway... 

She followed him into his wife's room... 

What happened then? She voiced her thoughts to nobody in particular. Nolan shrugged. 

"I don't really remember. All I know is that I got to Mary Margaret's room and the next thing I know is I'm lying down in an ambulance, being administered oxygen, and you're passed out next to me." 

Emma's mind was foggy. She couldn't tell if Nolan was lying or not. And it frustrated her. 

"And the other woman? The one who shot snow out of her hands?" - she asked, suddenly remembering. Nolan and Whale both looked puzzled. 

"What are you talking about?" - Whale asked. 

"You know, the other coma patient in that room. Where is she?" - Emma was getting worried for the person whose name she didn't even know. 

"You mean Elsa? She's still comatose unfortunately. My colleagues are keeping her under observation." - Whale replied smoothly. Emma's thoughts may have been jumbled, but she was well-attuned to Whale's lies by now to recognise that he's just told her another one.

"Where?" 

"The hospital wasn't damaged in its entirety" - was his curt answer. Emma wasn't satisfied and pressed on.

"Is that where she is?" - she asked nonchalantly. 

"Yes it is" - another curt reply. And a 100% lie. Could it be possible that Elsa was just another victim in the chaos that was unveiling? If so, it was Emma's job to make sure she was fine. 

"I know what I saw, Mr Nolan. You were there too. You told me she froze the fire! You saw the ice figurines around the room!" - she was shouting now. Nolan's eyebrows almost hit his hairline. 

"Emma, I swear to God, I have no idea what you're saying!" 

Whale's calm demeanour, however, was firmly in place. "Relax, David" - he said. - "Miss Swan has inhaled a large amount of carbon monoxide. She is lucky not to have any burns to her respiratory system. It's understandable that she's confused."  
"I'm not confused, you dickhead!" - Emma yelled out, immediately clasping her hand over her mouth. She had no idea where that came from. Dr Whale flinched for a second but continued smiling as if nothing has happened. 

"We really should let Miss Swan rest" - he told Nolan. - "I trust we can keep her in your home until she's better?"

Nolan nodded. - "Of course. Emma, you can stay as long as you like."

That was NOT part of Emma's plan. She shook her head. 

"Thank you, but I really can't. I have a case. How long have I been out?"

Nolan shrugged. - "It's been about five or six hours since I woke up, and I don't know how long you were out for before that. You should rest now, though".

Emma ignored him and made a move to get out of bed, but a voice she's come to know well over the past few days made her freeze. 

"How's she doing?" - Killian Jones asked softly from the doorway. 

"What are you doing here?" - Whale asked. He was clearly displeased, judging by the edge in his voice. Killian raised his eyebrows but nodded at him and Nolan. 

"Just dropping by to wish Miss Swan a speedy recovery, nothing more." 

Emma's senses and thoughts may have been an absolute mess at that moment, but she couldn't help but be utterly mesmerised by his words having an immediate effect on the other two men in the room. Now that she knew about his power, she could see the way Nolan's and Whale's tense expressions became relaxed at the very moment Killian began to speak. Emma felt it - the energy in the air. It wasn't pulsating like she imagined, but rather, it swam smoothly through the room, penetrating the spaces between the molecules of air. 

She was fascinated. And she hated herself for that. 

Coughing to shake off the strange thoughts, she drew attention back to her. 

"Killian. Thanks for coming. You guys can go" - she told the Sheriff and the Doctor, who, perhaps unsurprisingly, listened and walked out. Killian took Whale's seat next to her bed and his expression changed. He no longer looked calm - he looked positively concerned. 

"Emma, what happened?" - he asked urgently. She fell back on the pillows, sighing. 

"It doesn't matter." 

"The hell it doesn't! You could've been burned alive!" She looked up at him in surprise. She didn't even consider that her lie detector could be playing up - no liar in the world could fake the sort of fear that clouded Killian's blue eyes. It unsettled her. She bit her lip. 

"I was just trying to help the Sheriff get to his wife and get them both out of there, that's all" - the false calm in her voice could not be a less accurate reflection of her state. She was freaked out by nearly getting suffocated obviously, but she was more concerned about the strange woman's power. She told herself didn't buy Whale's crap about "confusion" for one moment, but deep down, she knew he has planted a seed of doubt in her semi-functioning brain. And Emma Swan didn't do doubts. Her power took care of that. 

"What happened? When you got there, I mean?" - Killian asked. - "Did you faint from the smoke?" 

Emma sighed. For all she knew, this man was her very target in the case. Hiding in plain sight seemed very fitting for a writer slash criminal, even more so for the writer who built his entire career from messing with people's heads. 

She heard him laugh softly. 

"Still don't trust me, huh?" - his words startled her. She wasn't that transparent... was she?  
"So now you're a mind-reader as well as a liar?" - she snapped. Who was this guy? He shook his head, however. 

"No, but you're like an open book, love."

Emma could only stare at him in shock. He chuckled again upon seeing her green eyes bore into his blue ones. 

"Don't worry - I wouldn't lie to you, Swan" - he sounded genuine to Emma's ears, but for all she knew they were filled with smoke, both literally and metaphorically - the latter was most likely caused by him. Or was it Whale? 

Killian stood up abruptly as soon as he spoke and turned to walk out. As he was about to close the door, Emma called out:  
"Killian?"

"Yes, darling?" 

She smirked as well as she could with the tubes on her face. "I will figure out what you're up to. And I don't care how big of a celebrity you are - if you are involved in any of this, I will expose you."

He merely raised his eyebrow. 

"Why must you waste your time when you could just ask me?" - he said softly and exited the Sheriff's guest room. 

 

* * *

 

Ruby Lucas was furious. And terrified. And that was never a good combination for anyone involved. Or anything. The poor cab driver has almost been reduced to tears with the way she kept yelling at him to go faster from the moment he picked her and Belle up from the hotel. In reality, the drive to the Sheriff's home didn't take longer than twenty minutes, but to the driver, it felt like an hour. He sighed, relieved, when he finally got to their destination and the girls jumped out of the car and ran up to the house. 

The door was unlocked. "What is it with people in small towns and not locking their homes?" - Ruby, who on several occasions was paid to install bespoke security systems on the homes of domestic violence victims, was puzzled by people who didn't take this kind of thing seriously. Belle laid a hand on her shoulder to placate her. 

"Easy, Rubes. We know Emma's OK, Whale told us."

"We don't trust Whale" - Ruby hissed and entered the house quietly, pulling Belle in by the hand. Neither Sheriff or Emma were anywhere to be seen. What met the girls' eyes, however, was a rather peculiar sight. 

Killian Jones was sprawled across a couch in the hallway, apparently sleeping. 

"Oh my God!" - Ruby whispered, some of her anger evaporating.

"What is he doing here?!" - Belle whispered back. Ruby shrugged. 

"Never mind him, let's find Emma."

"Maybe she's in the guest room?" - Belle suggested. Ruby nodded and opened a random door, hoping that Emma was there.

She was. Ruby's heart sank at the sight of her colleague - her friend - looking so... distraught. She's always considered to be Emma the strongest person she knew, and seeing her lying in bed like that, with tubes around her face, was unsettling. It wasn't the first time either girl had to go pick Emma up from the ER because she's gotten into a fight with a suspect or pissed off an authority figure. But it was never like this. 

"Hey Ems!" - Belle called out softly. The blonde's eyes opened. Has she been asleep?

"Hey guys" - she spoke, her voice slightly raspy, but Ruby was relieved to not hear any signs of defeat. 

"How're you doing?" - Ruby approached the bed, grabbing Emma's hand. Emma rolled her eyes. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine! I just have to get out of this goddamn bed and get to work!" Ruby and Belle shook their heads simultaneously.

"Out of the question, Swan" - Killian Jones' voice across the room mirrored their thoughts. Emma groaned.

"You're STILL here?" 

He shrugged, smirking. "Obviously. Wasn't going to keep you all bored here, was I?" 

"Well, my friends are here now, so you can go" - Emma stated. He sighed. 

"As you wish. Oh and for the record - I believe you. What you said about that lass' power to freeze things."  
Emma gaped. "Were you..."

"Eavesdropping. Yes of course" - he answered, unabashed. - "You should try it sometime. Ladies" - he nodded at Belle and Ruby and departed. The sound of the front door being shut echoed throughout the house. 

"You know, that's not a bad idea..." - Belle voiced what everyone else was thinking softly. Emma, however, shook her head. 

"Why, because some writer dude came up with it? Or did you get it from one of his books?" - she scoffed, apparently unwilling to take part in anything suggested by Killian Jones. 

Belle smiled. "I'm not suggesting we crouch behind Whale's house or hide inside Regina's ventilation system. You're forgetting you have the best tech expert you could ever need by your side."

Ruby blushed but caught on. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Belle nodded. "Ladies, it's time to b. u. g. the suspects!" 

Emma laughed. "Swell idea. Only one problem though - how on earth are we going to get into Whale's and Regina's houses and Jones' hotel room?"  
Ruby raised her eyebrows. "Since when is Killian Jones one of the suspects?"

"Since I said so" - Emma snapped, not willing to discuss him further. Ruby shrugged and nodded. 

"May I suggest... phones?" - Belle said. 

"And how would we get our hands on their phones?" 

Belle blushed. "Well... you haven't blown your being into Whale cover yet have you?"

"I called him a dickhead... does that count?" - Emma spoke, annoyed with herself losing control. 

"You could say you weren't thinking straight?" - Ruby suggested. - "Or that you were too upset about not being able to help out? He seems to be more sleazy than he is smart." 

Emma thought for a minute. She didn't enjoy her brief time of "dating" Dr Whale but he was the man Booth suggested to her as the prime suspect. Of course, that was before he knew about Regina. And if Whale and Regina are working together, they need to communicate...

"Fine. I'll do it. But I am not crediting Killian Jones for any ideas" - Emma stated with a tone of finality in her voice and dialled Whale's number. 

 

* * *

 

After spending the night at Whale's house (she couldn't bear doing more than getting Whale wasted on whiskey and engaging in several sloppy makeouts before he passed out) and installing several Ruby-TM listening devices around his apartment and on his mobile, Emma couldn't do anything but wait in her hotel room with the girls, which gave them an excuse to fuss over her. 

"Ems, you've nearly been burnt alive. You deserve to take a day off!" - when Belle was in a nursing mode, it was no use trying to change her mind. Emma didn't care for being a subject of fuss, but she put up with it, secretly berating herself for not flirting Whale's secrets out of him last night. There was always a chance that he would remember the next morning, despite being completely smashes, and run straight to Regina or whoever he was working with. 

It has been three hours since either of the bugs was activated. The last time it happened, all they could hear was Whale cursing loudly at his hangover and complaining to the empty apartment about a long shift at the hospital ("because performing surgery on people while exhausted is such a brilliant idea" - Emma said sarcastically). Finally, an alert rung through the room on Ruby's laptop, which she pulled up to Emma's bed immediately. 

"He's on the phone!" - she whispered excitedly. Emma turned up the volume and shivered as the cold, familiar voice sent chills through her veins. 

 ** _"Where were you last night?!" -_** Regina sounded angry.

 ** _"Hooked up with a chick, why do you care?" -_** Whale sounded terrible. 

**_"Weasel. Whatever. Are you sure the crypt wasn't damaged by the fire?"_ **

**_"Stop calling it a fucking crypt! And it's fine. I checked this morning."_ **

**_"And Blanchard and Anderson?"_ **

**_"Blanchard still doesn't remember anything. Anderson's still out of it."_ **

**_"Good. Make sure it stays that way."_ **

**_"When can I get my payment?" -_** He now sounded impatient, as well as irritated.

**_"When I say so. Don't worry, the heart of our dearly departed Sheriff isn't going anywhere._ ** _"_

 

* * *

 

Regina Mills' evil laughter was the only thing that could be heard in an otherwise completely silent hotel room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh...  
> Not sure how well this one turn out but whether positive or otherwise, reviews are my hugs after a long day, so be generous!


	16. Shady Deals

**Thank you all for reading! I know I'm being a little Moffattish with all the mysteries, but I promise I'll explain every one of them as this progresses :) I only own the plot, not the characters.**

 

* * *

 

"You recorded everything, right?" - Emma breathed out after a few minutes, her voice eerily calm.

Ruby nodded. "Obviously."

"Good. Make sure you save a copy onto three memory sticks. Each of us should carry one with us at all times."

"Why?" - Belle asked. -"You don't usually involve the police at this stage?"

A cold smile illuminated Emma's features. - "No, but I don't trust anyone in this town. Best to have the info backed up until we have something concrete."

Ruby's dark eyebrows furrowed. "Emma, she's just confessed to murder! Don't you think that's concrete enough?" 

Emma shook her head. "We need more.  _I_  need more. If she did indeed kill Humbert, his murder is only a piece of the puzzle. And Booth needs us to solve the whole thing."

_Not to mention that I want to expose her for who she really is this time._

"Do you think Gold is dead too?" - Belle voiced her thoughts.

"I don't know" - was Emma's laconic reply. The idea of Neal being dead didn't sit well with her. Not because of any lingering feelings - the only thing she felt for him now was anger and hatred, which were a fuel for her drive to make sure that people like him got what they deserved, but because of his own power. If there was one thing he was good at, it was disappearing. Literally. 

Ruby sighed. "You ever gonna tell us how you know him?"

The last thing Emma wanted to do right now was to rehash the past and put herself through reminiscing. The only reason she agreed to do so was because she thought she could use a fresh perspective from Ruby and Belle on the case if they learnt more about Neal Cassidy. If that was indeed his real name. 

 

"What a dickwad" - Ruby muttered after she was done. Belle was too furious to stay in the room, which frightened Emma a little bit - Belle French never ever got angry. She returned with a tray of teacups, and Emma gratefully accepted one. 

"Yeah. So what do you guys think? I for one don't buy that he's dead. And Regina may be many things but she would never ever associate with a petty thief in any way."

"Which means that he was either actually getting treatment from Whale and it went badly so Whale cleaned up after himself, which was our original theory, or that there is a third explanation." - Belle mused out loud. 

Emma sighed. - "Belle, do you mind doing...unorthodox research?"

"How do you mean?"

"Like..I know that you're good with finding stuff out from all kinds of sources, and that you never rely on a piece of information unless and until you make sure it's 100 per cent accurate, but could you maybe..explore superpowers?" - Emma was sure she was grasping at straws, but she was suddenly feeling inspired. 

"Superpowers? You mean..like yours?" - Belle looked thoughtful. 

"Well, more like Neal's. I don't know what to call it - unnoticeability? Ability to create perception filters? I wouldn't ask but we seem to be out of leads right now." 

"So..you want me to flip through comic books and graphic novels in order to find out whether Neal is a hypothetical character?" - Belle sounded sceptical and Emma didn't blame her. She sighed. 

"It's okay, you don't have to. Forget I said anything"

"No, no, I'll do it!" - Belle rushed to reassure her. - "I just... What if I learn something about yours?"

Emma waved her off. - "I'm no superhero, Belle. Thank you."

Ruby gasped. "OMG, I almost forgot. Before we got the call about the fire, I got an e-mail from Sidney about Regina. You were right, Emma. She's shady as a bat. I decrypted it, by the way, and typed it up."

She clicked on a Word Document file on her desktop and Emma began to read. 

 

_Hey,_

 

 _So a friend of a friend once worked on a story about political corruption in New England, but it was never published and the guy got bitten by a viper and died on the spot._ ("Yeah, I'm sure" - Emma snorted.)  _But my contact managed to get their hands on the early drafts. They're handwritten, and I'm not scanning them. But the gist of them is that once upon a time, there was a high school principal, who was much feared by the local community and hated by her students. Some people noticed large sums of money disappearing from school funds and that the school trips were planned on the lowest budget in the district. Nobody asked questions, though - the elderly folk still remembered the principal's mother, who was the Principal some time ago, and apparently she was the most terrifying person to ever grace the halls of that school, and the students' parents didn't complain because they were too afraid their kids' futures would be sabotaged. One student did dare to speak out, and she was expelled and made an example of (_ Emma's eyes narrowed at that). 

 

_She only stayed at the school for a few years after that, though, filling the teachers' spots with her people, who made her popular again in the district. Eventually, she was offered a job at the city council - for some reason, nobody seems to remember her ever even showing up to meetings. I smell corruption._

 

_I don't know what happened afterwards, but seven years ago, she moved to where you are now because she got offered a job as the High School Principal. The same thing happened there only a year later - previously, the mayor was some old guy who died, so when she ran, she ran unopposed. However, nobody seems to know anything about.. well, anything she'd done as a mayor. It's like every day in the office has been the same for the last few years. I don't know if it's just the small town thing, or she's paid some people off to cover up whatever you think is going on, but it's definitely weird._

 

_Drinks when you get back? Good luck!_

 

_S. G._

 

_P.S. Did E like my article in the Times? I tried to be as authentic as possible ;)_

 

"I reckon Sidney's right - she's just a really corrupt politician who's used to getting what she wants. Even if the price is murder. Maybe Humbert wanted to run for Mayor?" - Ruby suggested, but Emma disagreed. 

"There's got to be more to it than that. I just can't put my finger on it."

Belle sighed. "Could it be possible that your history with her is clouding your judgment?" - Upon meeting Emma's glare, she corrected herself hastily. - "I mean, I more than understand why you hate her, I'm just saying that we shouldn't jump to conclusions!" 

Emma gritted her teeth. If she were honest with herself, she knew from the very moment she's laid eyes on Regina in Storybrooke Memorial that unless she faced her demons and confronted her past, that case was not going to be solved. 

She had to talk to Regina Mills. In person. 

 

* * *

 

_Six months ago_

A knock on the door of his apartment startled Killian Jones who was just about to climb under the covers with his notebook. He went to open it, wondering who could be bugging him at 11 pm GMT on a Wednesday, and got the shock of his life when he saw Victor Whale standing in the hallway. 

"Victor, what are you doing here?" - he asked sharply, annoyance quickly replacing his astonishment. 

"K-killian!" - Whale slurred. Killian rolled his eyes. The doctor was clearly sloshed. He sighed and grabbed Whale by his lapel, pulling him inside.

"Why are you here?" - he demanded, as soon as he sat Whale down on the couch. 

Whale wasn't supposed to show up in London. According to their deal, Killian was to fly to Maine in a year to join Whale in completing the last part of their plan of bringing their brothers back to life. Whale being here so early could only mean one thing...

"Did... did the plan fail?" - Killian's voice quivered as he spoke. 

"The plan? The plan is fucking glorious, my friend!" - Whale cried out. If he weren't a path to changing Killian's life for the better, he would've punched him. 

"Then why are you here?" - he asked impatiently. Suddenly, Whale burst into tears. 

"Gerhardt.. it's his heart. It's not s-strong enough!" - he wailed, burying his face in his hands. Killian could smell tequila on him. He frowned. 

"What do you mean, it's not strong enough? What about Liam's?!" - he cried out in desperation. Whale sobbed louder. 

"Liam's heart is good!" 

"Yes I know - I was there when he was still alive"- Killian spoke softly. Granted, it was only for a small period of time when he was a wee lad, but those were the best years of his life, thanks to his brother. 

"It's Gerhardt... I c-can't save him if he doesn't h-have a w-working heart" - Victor cried. - "Please Killian" - he grabbed the front of the writer's shirt suddenly - "I need to save him! I have to!"

It only took Killian Jones a second to comprehend what Whale was talking about. He growled and pushed him away, nearly knocking him off his feet. 

"No! You are NOT going anywhere my brother's heart, you arsehole! You fix them both, understand?! You bring BOTH of them back or I swear to God I will kill you!" 

Killian was beyond livid. It was a very powerful and dangerous thing, as he very well knew from writing his characters, to give hope to a man who had nothing to lose. And it was even more dangerous for everyone involved to take that hope away, just as his dream was about to come true. 

He finally gave in to his need and punched Whale square in the nose. He stumbled back, his sobbing ceasing for a moment. 

"Pull yourself together, you hammered git. I've a better idea." 

And he did. He hated himself for even considering it, and even more for having the means to carry it out. 

Whale looked up hesitantly. 

"W-what are you talking about?" 

Killian took a deep breath and smirked to mask his self-loathing and his determination to do anything it takes to get Liam back.

"Well, Victor, have you ever performed a heart transplant surgery?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well how about that, eh? reviews and kudos make me smile!


	17. Disconcerted

A teenage girl who was about to take on a very powerful person with nobody standing behind her and having her back may have been intimidated by a very large, stylish yet minimalist, manor. But the 28-year-old Emma Swan was no longer that person. She's confronted dirty corrupt politicians with houses much more lavish than Regina's. 

"Of course" - a voice that sounded suspiciously like Belle's went off in her head - "none of those people had a history with you." 

Emma was... She didn't know how to describe it. Anxious, certainly, which could, fortunately, not be spotted by any strangers passing by the manor, as it was early twilight; but also, excited. Oh yes - she hasn't expected an opportunity to take Regina Mills down to arise for... well, ever. 

Was there even a word for the emotions she was experiencing right now?

Swallowing down the old insecurities that were twitching somewhere in her throat, Emma raised her hand to ring the doorbell, but a buzz of her phone in her pocket made her drop it. 

It was a text. 

**_KJ: How're you feeling? X - K._ **

Emma rolled her eyes, almost shoving her phone back in her pocket, but realising at the last moment that it was a perfect opportunity to stall.

**_ES: I'm about to go confront an old enemy. How do you think I'm feeling? - E_ **

His reply came almost immediately. 

**_KJ: I believe the word you're looking for is "disconcerted" x- K._ **

Emma frowned. She wasn't disconcerted... was she? 

 ** _ES: What makes you think that? - E._**  She told herself she didn't really care for his response one way or the other - she was just grasping at straws to find a way to delay the inevitably unpleasant encounter. 

**_KJ: I'm a writer, love. I know these things. Confronting old enemies used to be a big trope in my early novels. Besides, one would normally be disconcerted while seeking retribution. Which, I gather, is what you're doing? X - K._ **

**_ES: It's for a case, nothing more. She just happens to be a suspect. - E_ **

**_KJ: Lying doesn't become you, darling. Let me know if you need anything xx - K._ **

 

Killian Jones was NOT going to become her knight in shining leather, Emma could be certain of that much. She hated to admit, however, that he was right about her motives to destroy Regina. She wasn't going to apologise for them though - to him, or anyone. 

She placed her phone back in her pocket, took a deep breath and pressed the button on her right. 

 

The red-lipped smile that showed two rows of perfect teeth but was a far cry from being welcoming. Charming, yes, but also cold. The dark, penetrating eyes, and jet-black bob framing her handsome olive-skinned face. 

Nope, Regina Mills has not changed at all. 

But Emma has. And she was hoping that was enough to make sure the person standing across the threshold didn't recognise her as a scared kid who's bitten off more than she could chew. Also, Emma was certain that Regina paid her no mind in the hospital, and therefore a disguise in the form of a ginger wig with long straight strands and blue contacts were the best way to make sure Emma stayed anonymous.

"Can I help you?" - Mayor Mills asked. 

Emma nodded. - "Madame Mayor, my name is Rebecca Sutter. I am a detective from New York and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"

Regina's smile widened even more but the temperature in the hallway seemed to have dropped ten degrees.

"Why certainly. Come in, Miss Sutter. How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"

_No thanks, the bottle you kept in your office has traumatised me enough._

"Can't drink on duty, but thank you." 

Regina lead Emma into a brightly lit living room that doubled as an office, judging from the modern computer equipment. Emma made a mental note to get Ruby to check it out. 

"So, what can I help you with, Miss Sutter?" - Regina asked after they sat down across from each other. 

"I'm investigating a disappearance of a person who was last seen in this town. His name is Baelfire Gold." 

Regina's eyebrows quivered very slightly when Emma mentioned missing persons, but she relaxed when she heard the name. 

"I'm sorry, doesn't ring any bells."

_Lying bitch._

"Are you sure?" - Emma prompted. - "He went missing a few years ago. He was receiving treatment from a Dr. Victor Whale, do you know him?"

"Certainly. Dr Whale is an excellent medical professional. One of the best in New England, I hear" - Regina replied. 

_100% truth._

"And how close are you with Dr Whale? Do you recall him ever mentioning anything about any patients of his with genetic disorders?" 

Regina's eyes narrowed. "Dr Whale is a respected citizen of Storybrooke. You have no right to accuse him of any wrongdoings, Miss Sutter. And not that it's any of your business, but my relationship with him is that of two professionals who have great respect for each other." 

_75% truth. He may be respected by the citizens, but he certainly doesn't respect you. So could I be wrong about him being a killer since he doesn't seem to respect one?_

Emma smirked. "I didn't ask if Dr Whale has done anything wrong. I'm merely gathering as much information about Mr Gold's situation at the time of his disappearance as I can." 

Regina looked her over with narrowed eyes, full of dislike.

"Have we met before?" - she asked suddenly. 

Emma has been prepared for this. "I don't believe so, Madame Mayor" - she lied smoothly. - "I've never been to Maine before." She said the last bit, hoping to steer the conversation into a direction of Regina's past. 

The woman considered her for a moment. "I haven't always lived in Maine."

"Where did you live before?" - Emma asked with a tone of mild curiousity. 

"Boston. I was a member of the city council before I got offered a job up here. Small town life is different from living in a city like Boston in many ways, but I'm sure you understand?" 

The question reeked of trickery. Luckily, Emma was used to it. She shrugged. 

"I suppose - I've lived in New York all of my life so I would assume you've had similar experiences?"

Regina's mouth curled into a smile. "Yes indeed. People in small towns are much more agreeable, wouldn't you say Miss Sutter?" 

Emma let out a forced chuckle. "From what little I've seen of Storybrooke, that's definitely the truth. The people has been really sweet to me so far. And the community seems really tight. You must be really good at your job, Madame Mayor." 

Saying the last sentence felt like throwing up pickled eggs. And Emma knew from experience what that felt like. It had the desired effect, however. Regina's smile widened. 

"Why thank you, Miss Sutter. I do what I can, although I must say that the amounts of paperwork I have to do sometimes makes me want to murder someone with a file full of quarterly reports."

_And you're not even lying._

"Don't you have an assistant?" - Emma inquired, hoping for a "yes". PAs and secretaries were the best people to come to for gossip on their bosses. 

Regina, however, shook her head. "I used to have one, his name was Henry. But he's... moved on."

A flicker of emotion sparked for a second in her eyes, but Emma blinked and it was gone. Filing the information away in her head and deciding to ask her friends to help track down this Henry, she smiled. 

"Well, since you clearly know how to stay organised, perhaps I could take a look at your paperwork? If there is anything that may lead to Mr Gold..."

Emma didn't get to finish her sentence. Regina stood up, looking furious. 

"I'm sorry, but I will not hand over my life's work to a complete stranger without a warrant. Now, I believe time for chit-chat is over. Feel free to show yourself out, Miss Sutter."

Emma gaped at her for a second but gathered her thoughts and stood up as well, nodding at the woman. 

"Thank you for your time, Madame Mayor. Good day." 

 

* * *

 

"We need to get onto that computer. And inside her fileroom, wherever that may be" - Emma was fuming, pacing around the hotel room.

"We will" - Ruby spoke calmly. - "You planted a bug at her place, right?"

"Yes. But I couldn't get to her phone."

Ruby shrugged. "No matter. We're tapping Whale's and he's almost as much a part of this as she is. Nothing notable there though, not today." 

Emma narrowed her eyes, feeling calmer, and took a seat on the hotel couch. 

"I don't think he's the main player here. From the way she spoke about him, he clearly doesn't care for her. And she knows that."  
"So..." - Belle spoke slowly - "Why would he reap the fruits of her labour - whatever they may be?" 

Emma shrugged. - "Because he's still a piece of work? I have NO IDEA!" - she yelled out suddenly, feeling frustrated again. Ruby and Belle only flinched a little, used to her outbursts in the middle of difficult cases. 

"What if - hear me out - we actually get that warrant?" - Ruby suggested and Emma looked at her like she's sprouted a wolf snout. 

"How do you suggest we do that? I'm not actually a detective, remember?" 

Ruby bit her lip. "But Sheriff Nolan doesn't know that. You could just ask him for a favour? You're still technically a law enforcement professional, after all, and he doesn't need to know your rank." 

Emma looked down. If they were to do this, that would be the first time in her career as a Saviour she will have done things by the book. She usually didn't like that because of her distrust of the system, but she was able to, when necessary, recognise its advantages. 

"How would I even go about acquiring the warrant? Nolan's just a cop, not a DA. He'd need probable cause."

Belle smirked. "Which we have, remember?" She held up a memory stick that held the recording of Whale's and Regina's conversation. 

Emma understood where she was going with this. "NO." 

"Emma, come on!"

"Not happening! First of all - I may have cleared Nolan as a suspect in the case, but it doesn't mean he's not in Regina's pocket! Second of all - didn't you hear what Regina said? Her and Whale did something to Mary Margaret and Elsa! What if they do something to Nolan as well? Or either one of us once they realise they've been played?" 

Belle got up and stood in front of Emma. "Don't you see? That's exactly what we need to get Nolan OUT of Regina's pocket! He clearly loves his wife, and if he realises that Regina hurt her, he'd help us do whatever we need to bring her down!" 

"Plus" - Ruby added - "we would still need his help with this mysterious "crypt" Regina mentioned." 

Emma frowned. "Why would we need his help? We know it's in the hospital somewhere, I could just go check it out after I get Regina's stuff."

"But with Nolan there, you'd have a legitimate reason to be there as a law enforcement professional (Emma snorted at that) since neither of us can provide you with that kind of cover, and who knows what kind of shit they keep in that "crypt". It could be dangerous and you might need back-up. The legitimate kind, this time" - Ruby argued, and Emma hated to admit it, but her argument was solid.

"Unless" - Belle suggested teasingly - "you want Killian Jones as your back-up? He can just charm his way out of a bad situation."

Emma choked and nearly doubled over from laughing. Not only did Belle just said the most truthful thing, but the mere idea of her asking  _Killian Jones_  of all peopleto have her back in a case where he was a suspect was laughable. After all, everyone knew you couldn't trust writers. They were born liars and Killian Jones was the biggest liar of them all. 

After Emma calmed down somewhat, Ruby brought up Nolan again. "So do you want to involve him or not? I mean, if his wife is another victim of Regina's, he is already involved anyway, why not ask him for help?" 

Emma nodded, but she wasn't planning on using David Nolan's status as the Sheriff to obtain any warrants any time soon. She had a better idea of how he could help. Besides, she still had the mystery of his wife's lie detector power to solve. 

"Freaky-ass town" - Emma muttered to herself and went in the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise a big reveal next chapter! Also, Emma's undercover name is a name of a character from an awesome show called How to Get Away with Murder. There is literally no reason I chose the name - I just thought of it and it got stuck in my head! Reviews and kudos feed me :)


	18. The Crypt

**"** So you're saying we got married in Paris?" - Emma could hear Mary Margaret's voice through the door of the Nolan's bedroom. She was crouched outside it, torn between coming in right away and listening in.

"Yeah, we did" - David Nolan's voice answered. - "At a little place near that bridge with the love locks. You loved the idea so much you insisted on renewing our vows a year later on the actual bridge."

"That must've been nice" - Mary Margaret replied softly. 

Emma chose that moment to knock on the door. 

"Emma, hi!" - Nolan let her in. - "What a lovely surprise. Are you feeling better then?"

Emma nodded. - "Much better, thanks. How are you?" - she asked Mary Margaret who was smiling at her from the armchair across the room. 

"I'm okay. Still having trouble remembering things, but David's been great." 

Mary Margaret may not have had any memory of it, but her face was practically glowing when she looked at Nolan. Emma didn't need any superpowers to tell that the couple has been very much in love before Regina Mills came along. 

Thoughts of Regina reminded her why she was here in the first place. 

"I'm glad" - she replied to Mary Margaret. - "I'm afraid I'm here about a case. Mr Nolan, do you think I could speak with you?" 

He nodded. "Of course. You can just call me David, by the way." He led her through the hallway into a small but cosy kitchen. Emma took a seat at the table while David busied himself with making coffee. 

"So how's the case going?" - he asked after she thanked him for the cup. 

"I think I'm making headway. That's why I came to talk to you, actually."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "How can I help?"

"Someone mentioned a room in the Storybrooke Memorial that survived the fire unscathed. It's called The Crypt or something? Do you know anything about that?"

David's expression became thoughtful. He frowned as though trying to remember something. "The Crypt... the Crypt... it does sound familiar, but I can't place why. All I can remember is that the term came up during a case but I have no idea which one, I'm sorry." He looked disappointed and Emma knew he was genuine. 

She smiled to herself, coming up with a new idea.

"David... since you say that it might be related to a case, wouldn't it be in the police archives?" - she added a slight tone of hesitation to her question. He bit his lip. 

"I suppose so... I wouldn't know where to begin though! To tell you the truth, the electronic archives are a complete mess."

Emma knew that. The evening before, she asked Ruby to hack into Storybrooke police station's database and look for "crypt"-related stuff. She came up empty, which is why Emma was here right now. 

She smiled at him. "Your paper archives should be intact though, no?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Do you think there's something in there that could help you?" 

Emma shrugged and nodded. "I believe there is."  
David smiled. "Well then, I suppose you could have a look at our file room. It's really dusty and dingy, mind you, so let's hope you find something soon. Don't tell anyone I let you use it though" - he added the last part in a whisper that may have sounded strange to an untrained ear, but Emma has heard a tiny quiver in his voice. 

He was afraid of what would happen to him if the word got out about him allowing Emma access to the archives. 

Emma chuckled in an attempt to put him at ease. "Maybe the reason the last Sheriff disappeared was because he let someone use the room?" - her question was supposed to sound as a joke, but all David could muster was a nervous smile. She decided to stop torturing him.

"Do you think we can go now?" - she asked. He nodded, looking relieved. 

"You can wait here while I tell Mary Margaret. I'll just be a moment." He exited the room, leaving Emma to finish her now cold cup of coffee. 

 

He returned a few minutes later.

"I'll drive if that's OK?" - Emma offered. He nodded and followed her to her car. 

"So how did you come across that Crypt thing?" - David asked her as she was driving. She shrugged.

"Overheard conversations, rumours, that kind of thing" - she replied vaguely. She didn't know what Storybrooke PD's policy was on bugging and tapping other people's property, so she decided not to go into it. He frowned. 

"Did any of these conversations feature Victor Whale, by any chance?"

"Why?" - she evaded the question, unsure where he was going with this. He sighed.

"Emma I told you - he's a good man. I'll owe him for ever for keeping Mary Margaret alive."

 _Well, maybe she didn't need to have been kept alive if he hasn't put her in a coma in the first place_  - Emma thought and wished that she could tell him that right there and then. She bit her tongue in time. 

"I didn't hear it from Whale. But if the lead does bring me to him, I shall pursue it, David."

"It won't" - he spoke confidently. 

"How can you be sure?"

"I'd trust that man with my life."  
Emma felt a very strong desire to facepalm. Or to smack David hard to give him a dose of reality check. 

_Don't beat up good guys, don't beat up good guys, don't beat up good guys..._

"Well I don't" - she snapped. - "But if he's innocent, I'll apologise" - she added grudgingly. 

David nodded but didn't speak until they arrived at the Sheriff's station. 

The file room was just as bad as David desribed. Emma, however, had plenty of experience with stakeouts where she had to crouch in the dirty bushes during a heavy rainstorm, so while getting covered in dirt and mud wasn't her idea of a good time, she could tolerate it. Nor was she fazed by disorganised messes - Ruby's assistance with finding information contained in electronic databases has its perks but before she came along, Emma has been on the receiving end of more papercuts from neverending documents than an average law student. And it was very rare for her to encounter an archive that had any kind of order to it. 

The Storybrooke Sheriff's station file room contained a lot of files. And even more loose documents lying around on the floor. Emma sighed and, seeing that it was going to take a few hours at least to go through all of them, debated to ring Belle but decided against distracting her from her research into superheroes. She knew from experience that interrupting Belle mid-research never ended well. Particularly, if that research involved fiction (although in this case, Emma being Exhibit A, fiction wasn't quite the best word to describe what Belle was looking on). 

A momentary idea to invite Killian Jones to help briefly illuminated her brain, but she laughed to herself. She suspected that, while he would be grateful for a way to procrastinate, he wouldn't be so thrilled to do so in a dark, tiny, dusty file room. So she sighed again and called for David, who did a double take at the room but nodded and headed towards the left side. Emma was left with the right one, so she picked up a file at random and began to read. 

Seventeen files, one hundred loose documents, four papercuts and a countless number of curses uttered later, Emma and David were ready to give up. 

"I can't feel my fingers..." - David moaned from underneath his hands.

"My eyes feel as dry as this freaking paper!" - Emma groaned, throwing a piece of paper on the floor. 

"This is no use" - he muttered. - "I don't know how else to help, I'm sorry." Emma nodded.

"I'm getting coffee. Do you want some?" He asked for a large Americano, and she dashed to Granny's down the street. 

She found him still sitting on the floor of the file room when she returned. Gratefully accepting his coffee, he suggested that they direct their search somewhere else. Emma's spirits soared - could he be suggesting what she was hoping for?

"Perhaps the Mayor's office would have something? She usually keeps everything organised. Maybe there are some old hospital plans we could look at?" - he offered.

Emma was right and smiled to herself. It appeared she didn't need to reveal her suspicious about Regina after all. 

"That sounds good" - she agreed. - "You can drive because I don't know where the Mayor's office is."

That was a lie, but David wasn't to know that. He drove them to a building that was just as lavish as Regina's house. Emma rolled her eyes. Could the people of the town seriously not have noticed that she was living much more comfortably than average politicians? Or were they just too terrified to speak out? 

"I don't think she's here" - David said. - "She usually leaves at 7.30, and it's 8 now. Unless she's decided to just crash here for the night."  
"What if she has? I mean, we can't exactly barge in" - Emma voiced her concerns. David waved her off. 

"I'm the Sheriff, Emma. And she wouldn't say no to helping the police department."

Emma seriously doubted that, but followed him to Regina's porch. Luckily, the lights were off and no cars were in the driveway. David took out a bunch of keys and unlocked the door. 

"I have keys to most establishments of this town" - he explained. Emma nodded, grateful. She wouldn't have an issue with breaking in, but she supposed it would've been tricky to pull off with a law-abiding Sheriff by her side.  It didn't matter to her how she got in, however. Her hands were trembling in anticipation. This could possibly be a defining moment in her case. An opportunity to finally take down a woman who's ruined her life. She told a tiny annoying voice in her head that was muttering something along the lines of "and then what?" to shut the hell up and followed David inside. 

"The place where she keeps the town records is down the hall" - he whispered, leading Emma towards a black wooden door, which he unlocked with another key. 

David was right - Regina Mills was meticulously organised. And seemed to like her label maker just as much as back when Emma was her student. Emma grinned and reached for a file labelled "Hospital", while David grabbed the one titled "Obituaries". Good move, Emma thought. 

"Let me know if you see anything on Humbert or Gold" - she called out and, upon seeing him nod, dove into her own folder. 

The file was thinner than she expected, but she would get to "Hospital Records" in a bit. At the very beginning, there was a newspaper article about the opening of Storybrooke Memorial some 50 years ago. The article followed by similar more recent ones about residency and scholarship programmes. Emma snapped photos of each one, intending to send them to Sidney later. 

Regina has apparently organised her files by a type of document, as well as by date. After Emma was done with newspaper reports, she was faced with a section titled "Blueprints".

"Bingo" - she whispered and began to study each of them in detail, beginning from the oldest one dated October 21st, 1950. Needless to say, it looked nothing like the one she's obtained with Ruby's help a few days ago.

"David, come take a look at this" - she called. He obliged.

"Those are the old hospital blueprints?" - Emma nodded. David flipped forward until he reached the page dated a year ago, which Emma has already seen. 

He looked puzzled. "I know this hospital inside and out, and this old blueprint is much more accurate than that one. This new one doesn't have the room where Mary Margaret was, for instance."

"Does this one?" - Emma asked, and he pointed at a square-shaped room drawn on the plan in the southern part of the hospital. It did indeed look to be Mary Margaret's and Elsa's old room. Well, just Mary Margaret's. Making a mental note to check on Elsa as soon as she could, Emma bit her lip. 

"Emma, why do you think the room isn't on the recent blueprint?" - David asked, a note of uncertainty in his voice. 

"I don't know" - she lied, but from the look on his face, he didn't buy it. She sighed.

"I'll tell you what I think if you tell me why you lied about Mary Margaret being in a car accident" - she finally replied. - "Did Regina Mills make you believe that?"

He looked away.

"I don't know" - he finally said. 

_100% truth. How can you not know?_

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean, yes, Mayor Mills was the one who told me what happened to Mary Margaret. I told you the truth about where I was that night - I don't remember anything after getting drunk! Mayor Mills told me she made sure Mary Margaret has received appropriate care in time, and informed me of what happened."

"But you don't believe her, do you" - Emma's voice softened. - "I mean, you want to, but you know deep down that something is up."

David's silence was her answer.

"Let's just keep looking" - he spoke thickly. Emma didn't press the issue. Instead, she asked:

"Anything in your file?"

"No. Nothing about a Humbert or a Gold."  
"Well, look at this" - she pointed at a faint pencil erasure mark on a blueprint dated 2008. The mark formed a small square seemingly drawn underground. David tilted his head, looking at it sideways. 

"What is it? Did someone add an extra room and erased it? There's nothing on the rest of the plans" 

Emma's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps because the Mayor didn't want anyone to know about it but she had to make a note to remember where it was?" 

David sighed. "Emma, my head's spinning. Do you really believe it could be The Crypt - whatever that is?"

Emma nodded. "Got to be. Let's go."

"G-go where?" - he stammered. 

"The hospital! I want to see that Crypt and why Regina Mills is so intent on hiding it" - Emma exited Regina's office and ran to her car, David following her. 

"Emma, are you sure this is a good idea?" - he asked as she took off. 

"No. But I gotta get in there. You remember where it is on the plan?" He nodded.

"Can you take me there?"

"Y-yes, of course, but..."

"Great" - Emma cut him off. - "Come on then".

 

They made it to Storybrooke Memorial in just under three minutes. 

"Let's take the back entrance" - David suggested. Emma followed him around the building to a plain black door. For the third time that day, Emma thanked her past self for deciding to bring David with her - him having keys to everywhere saved a lot of time. 

The hallway and the stairs were dark. David handed Emma a flashlight.   
"I grabbed it from your car" - he whispered. - "Hope that's okay."

Emma nodded and crept down the stairs. She shivered slightly from the draft, although she had no idea where it was coming from.

"This way" - David muttered, grabbing her elbow and pulling her to the right. She turned on the flashlight and held it out in front of her, treading carefully so as not to fall down. After a few minutes of walking, the light met an iron door with only one visible tiny keyhole. 

"I've never seen this before" - David whispered next to her. - "I don't have a key, Emma"

"Then promise me I won't get in trouble with the law for this" - she whispered back. He nodded.

"Of course. I'm looking the other way right now."

It took Emma five minutes to turn the lock - one of the longest break-ins in her career. Finally, the lock clicked and she pushed the door. 

"I don't want to know how you did that" - David muttered and she rolled her eyes as she stepped over the threshold. 

She had to gasp and shield her eyes as she entered the room and from the noise David made, she gathered he was having the exact same reaction. 

At first, all she saw was blinding white light. It was such a contrast to the dark corridor, her retinas felt like they were on fire. She blinked a few times, swearing under her breath. Eventually, her vision cleared and a giant lab was before her eyes.

Ruby's mother's case brought Emma to a medical institute but their lab was nothing like this one. Emma couldn't name half the equipment in this place. Was that weird machine to her left a mass spectrometer? The huge glass case to her right that resembled an aquarium - she was pretty sure she saw it in a procedural TV series once. 

"OH MY GOD!" - David cried out suddenly behind her and ran towards the center of the room. Emma followed him and once she reached him, she had to hold onto his shoulder because what she saw was the last thing she imagined to find. 

A man was lying on a cold metal table. He was pale. His eyes were closed, and the eyelashes cast a dark shadow on his almost translusent cheekbones. Emma thought that he must have been attractive before he ended up dead in an underground lab in a tiny town in Maine - his features were nearly symmetrical. 

"Emma" - David whispered, pointing at something next to her. She turned to have a look and gasped. A thick wire was connecting a case made of dark glass to the man's torso. Emma touched it hesitantly with her fingertips and felt it pumping. 

"What is this?" - she muttered, more to herself than David. She looked around again and her gaze fell on something that was lying on a small table next to the head of the dead man (if he was indeed dead). 

It turned out to be a thick manuscript. Emma flicked through it until she got to the last page. 

"What does it say?" - David prompted. Emma read the message on the last page out loud. 

_"Victor,_

 

_I have played my part in bringing your brother to life. Best of luck and thank you again for the role you played in getting my own brother back._

 

_If you have any issues with what I have composed for Gerhardt - work it out for yourself. Like I said, I've completed my end of the deal. My brother needs me now._

 

_Best regards,_

 

 _Killian L. Jones._  

 


	19. We Need to Talk to Killian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry about the lack of updates but I’ve just been really busy and exhausted for the past few days :/ Here’s a really short chapter to keep you on your toes while I write that scene we’ve all been waiting for!
> 
> I still don’t own anything you may recognise.

 

"Killian Jones? As in  _the author?!"_  - David breathed out, shock clearly visible in his widened blue eyes, even though Emma couldn't see him. She was only able to nod. Her thoughts were literally jumped ahead of one another and her emotions were either too slow or too fast to keep up with them. If she could think about herself at that moment, she probably would've laughed at the mental image of her one-per-second changing facial expressions. 

_Why would Killian Jones be working with Whale?_

_ I knew it! I knew he belonged on the suspect list!  _

_This note makes absolutely no sense!_

_ Does it have to? He's obviously a criminal! There's a freaking dead body right in front of you! _

_Maybe he's gone a bit too far for his next book?_

_ And that makes murder okay?! _

_Am I a hypocrite for being pissed off with a guy who's probably had something to do with this while I myself have beaten up numerous assholes to a pulp for my job?_

_ But why would Whale help him with writing a book? There's more to this and you know it! _

_It wouldn't hurt to hear him out though, would it?_

_ You need to get to the bottom of this. No matter what, or who, might be involved! _

 

Finally, the conflicting thoughts seemed to have agreed on one single thing. 

Emma had to go see a writer about a body. 

"Emma?" - David's voice brought her out of her reverie. She turned to face him. 

"What?" - she asked dully.

"Doesn't... doesn't he look familiar?"

Emma turned back to take another look at the dead man's face. His features may have looked like they were made of the palest marble imaginable, but they were still quite clear. Placing a hand over her nose and mouth, she leaned forward, squinting. The jaw line did ring a distant bell... 

Wait a second.

Didn't I make out with a guy who's got the exact same jawline yesterday? - Emma was suddenly struck by a realisation.

"Oh my God" - she whispered. - "That's... that's Whale's brother!" 

"You mean the guy that Jones mentions in the note?" - David asked. Emma could only nod. 

"I... I guess so." 

"Why would somebody - and by somebody I mean Victor - keep a body of his long dead brother here, in the depths of Storybrooke Memorial?" 

"I'm guessing we now know why it's called the Crypt" - Emma tried to joke, but she knew it would fall flat the moment words left her lips. 

"Do you think" - David asked hesitantly - "Do you think Whale killed his brother?" 

Emma was prepared to answer affirmatively, but the conversation she eavesdropped yesterday suddenly popped into her head.

" _Don't call it a fucking crypt"_  - Whale told Regina. Could it mean...?

"No, I don't think he did" - she muttered. - "Whatever is going on here, it's a lot more complicated than that." 

Before she could suggest cornering Killian Jones, however, David pointed to the corner of the room.

"There's another door there. Shall we try and see if we can find some answers?" 

Sure enough, Emma has now also seen a blue door at the far corner of the room. She nodded and ran towards it. 

"David, do you have your gun with you?" - she whispered. He nodded and patted his pocket. 

 

Emma took a deep breath and kicked the door down, startling David slightly. He seemed to recover quickly, however, and pulled out the gun as soon as they stepped inside. 

It was an exact replica of the room they just left. 

Down to a dead body on a metal slab. 

"Oh my God" - David breathed out.

"Seriously?! One body has more than fulfilled my quota of death for today!" - Emma muttered loudly and approached the man.

This time, she didn't have any doubts. The man's dark curls were a dead giveaway, as were his chiseled jaw and high cheekbones. That man was undoubtedly Killian Jones' brother. The scene was, however, otherwise identical to the one they just walked away from, down to a thick manuscript on a small table. 

Emma grabbed it and was about to crack it open, but a tiny voice in her head made her hesitate.

_Emma, he may not be as guilty as you think. Let the man explain things to you without you prying._

_ Why on earth should I do that? What makes him different than all the other criminals I deal with? _

_You know exactly what._

And she did. That goddamn power of his has been a thorn in her side since she's found out about it. Most of the time, she realised its full potential and the harm it may cause. That conviction was also strengthened by the memories of the last person she's interacted with that had a superpower. Unnoticeability wasn't that different from being able to fool people completely in her book.

However, there were some very rare moments, like the hours they spent hanging out at the range and the pub, as well as the way he looked after her that night, that made her sympathise with him. It appeared that Killian Jones, like herself, has struggled with his power just as much as she used to, if not more. Those instances have almost allowed seeds of doubt to be planted into her rational, survivalist way of thinking.

If there was one thing Emma hated, however, it was doubt. It was not a thing she's encountered often, thanks to her own power, but it wasn't pleasant. 

She sighed and placed the manuscript between her shirt and her jacket.

"Aren't you going to read the note?" - David asked.

"Not yet. I want to talk to him first." - He nodded and followed her out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I’m sorry it’s so short but it’s all I can give you right now I’m afraid :/ Reviews motivate me though! *hint hint*


	20. Bargaining

EMMA

 

"So any ideas as to what you're gonna say to him?" - David asked Emma as she parked the bug outside Killian's hotel.

She shrugged. "A few".  _Keep your tactics as vague as possible when preparing for a battle. Even when discussing them with an ally._

August Booth's words rang in her ears. Even after almost a decade, she could never forget their first few lessons. And yet, she still knew next to nothing about her mentor. 

 

_Nine years ago_

She's read somewhere that there were five stage of grief. 

Anger. Well, she has definitely experienced that. It was, in fact, the only emotion that was strong enough to devour the pain inside her. 

Denial.. It would be a couple of years yet before she completely be done with that, but for now, the flashes of hope that Neal leaving her was just a misunderstanding were occurring less and less frequently. 

Depression. The psychiatrist who tried to help her after she tried to kill herself a few days after arriving to prison told her that suicide attempts were a serious, sure sign of depression. He wasn't lying, so check. 

Bargaining. That was a tricky one. She may have wished for Neal's return and made promises to herself that she'd never steal again for the first few weeks, but something was telling her that that was only scratching the surface. She was right.

Acceptance. Yeah, she wasn't going to touch that one.

 

She wasn't going to complain about getting out of jail six months early, but Emma Swan was still apprehensive about meeting with the man who pulled whatever strings to make that happen. The place where he asked her to meet him in the letter she received last week, that also included keys to her yellow home-on-wheels, did nothing to placate her. It really frustrated her, even then, that her power didn't work on letters. For all she knew, he was a pervert with a thing for ex-cons. 

She wouldn't have come if it weren't for the fact that he's mentioned her ability in the letter and told her he could help. Offers like that were few and far between in the life after prison, so here she was, sitting at a diner just outside Portland, ME and biting her lip nervously. The diner was possibly the most depressing and dingy establishment she's ever set her foot in. She scowled at the waiter who was leering at her and stared out of the window, not wanting to miss the man who called himself August Booth. 

"Hello Emma" - a voice behind her chair startled her. She turned around to see a dark-haired man in his 30s, clad in a leather jacket, holding a motorcycle helmet.

"I parked behind the place" - he explained, as though sensing Emma's thoughts as to why she hasn't spotted him. She nodded.

"Hello."

"My name is August Booth" - he spoke as he took a seat across her. - "Thanks for meeting me."

 

_Present day_

"Which room is he in?" - David asked Emma, following her inside. 

"Shit" - she cursed, having forgotten that complication. To her surprise, David smirked. 

"It's a good thing you brought me along, then" - he said and approached the reception.

"Hi, Storybrooke PD. Could you tell me the room Killian Jones is staying at?" - he asked the receptionist who couldn't be more than eighteen. 

"Umm..." - she stammered. - "I'm n-not really supposed to..." Emma rolled her eyes. 

"I'm investigating a murder, and I believe he can help" - David replied. Emma was somewhat impressed by his direct approach. The receptionist's eyes widened.

"It's room 8, sir" - she mumbled. David thanked her and ran up the stairs, Emma hot on his tail. Room 8 was at the end of the left corridor. Emma knocked, nodding at David who was holding onto the handcuffs in his pocket.

The heavy wooden door opened seconds later, revealing Killian Jones still in his day clothes, despite it being close to midnight. He barely had a moment to smile, when Emma nodded at David again and together, they grabbed him and cuffed his hands together. 

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" - he roared after they pushed him into a chair, apparently too shocked to fight them. Emma crossed her arms.

"I want answers, Jones. Now." 

 

 

KILLIAN

God, she was beautiful. The time he has spent with Emma Swan in the few days they were in Storybrooke has revealed to him that she was beautiful in a myriad of ways. 

When he first met her at his book signing, he had no idea who she was, and was too distracted by her nosy questions. But he still noticed the golden locks framing her smiling face, the green eyes that sparkled in excitement when she spoke to him. He would later realise that she was putting on a show, but it didn't stop her from being immensely captivating to look at. 

When he bumped into her at the hospital, he saw that there was a secret side to her so alike, yet so different, to his own. The shock may have blinded him for a few moments, but in no way did it alter his senses. His eyes weren't deceiving him - Emma Swan was a sight to behold. The fierce determination she demonstrated while questioning Sheriff Nolan made him admire her spirit and made him see that there was a nobility to her. The kind that he knew he didn't have. Her gift, her beautiful, precious gift - it was made for saving lives, or, as she appeared to be doing, catching criminals. When the Mayor appeared in the chamber, he saw fear in Emma's eyes. The kind of fear he was accustomed to as a young child after Liam's death. He hated the Mayor at that moment, and there was nothing Whale could say that could convince him otherwise. 

When he saw Emma having a panic attack in his car, flashes of his own childhood blinked before his eyes. He shook them off and climbed into the car with her, trying to help her. The revelations that followed were some of the more surreal, yet freeing moments of Killian's life. Telling Whale felt nothing like this. The closest was the moment when a seven-year-old Killian chose to whisper his secret to a nine-year-old Liam when they hid under the covers during a thunderstorm. Killian remembered Liam telling him that it was nothing to be afraid of, holding him and telling him to breathe, and then he revealed his secret. Liam understood. He always has, until he died a few years later. Since then, Killian Jones has been alone, with no-one to share the burden of his curse. 

Until Emma Swan appeared in his life. 

He was very impressed by her shooting skills that night at the range - it was quite an experience, being attracted to a woman holding a gun. The drinking that followed has been an eye-opener. From the few words Emma uttered in her inebrated state, that Killian was certain she had no memory of, he gathered that she has been burnt in the past, like him. He has suspected this much since he gave her a ride back to Belfast the first time, but to see her like this - helpless, curled up against him - it tugged on his heartstrings. The pull was a hundred times stronger than that of his first ever book character, Milah - "The Coward's Wife" may have brought him to fame, but creating her and then killing her was like taking a claw to the heart. Emma Swan, however, was a different story. He wasn't sure if it was her gift, or her beautiful, wounded soul - he didn't know where the one ended and the other one began - but whatever it was, it made him want to take care of her the next morning. Ordering room service was the very least he could do. 

The day of the Storybrooke Memorial fire was one of the worst days of his life. Hearing from Whale that Emma was OK wasn't enough - he had to go and see it for himself. Her not trusting him may have stung, but he understood. So he suggested to her to ask him bluntly about what was going on.

And apparently, handcuffing him in his hotel room was her way of following his advice. 

"What's the question?" - he fired back. Emma snorted. 

"How about you tell me why there are dead bodies of yours and Whale's brothers underneath Storybrooke Memorial?" - she apparently had no desire to beat around the bush. Killian had to admire her, even if he was itching to know how she found out. 

"Because Whale and I are trying to bring them back to life" - he replied. Truer twelve words have never been spoken, yet Emma scoffed. 

"And I'm supposed to believe that? You know full well that your power has a way of blocking mine, so unfortunately, it makes things a little harder. But I'm going to give you one more chance and ask you again: Why are you and Whale keeping your brothers down there?" 

Killian sighed. He has never hated his curse more than he did right at that moment. Not even when he found out that it drove Robert Gold insane. 

"Your power? What?" - they both gasped, forgetting that David was still in the room with them. Emma ignored him. 

"It's not as bad as it sounds, mate!" - Killian cried out. 

"I'm not your mate!" - David growled, reaching for his gun, but Emma raised her hand to stop him. Her eyes were still fixed on Killian. 

He looked down at his cuffed hands, wishing he were able to seize the goddamn curse and pull it out of his chest. It has been blackening his heart for long enough. 

"Emma" - his voice broke - "even if my hands were free, I wouldn't be able to yank that stupid power out of myself, but I swear on my brother's life" - Emma and David both snorted at that - "that if there were a way, I would do it! I'd do anything to get you to believe me!" 

Emma sighed, seemingly facing a struggle within herself. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she nodded. 

"Okay, let's for the sake of argument assume that you ARE in fact trying to revive your brothers. But how? I get Whale's part - wouldn't surprise me if pulling a Frankenstein were possible, what with all sorts of secrets being hidden from the general public - but how do YOU come into it?" 

Killian nodded. "I'll tell you. But it can never leave this room" - he added, giving David a pointed look. 

"Not a chance in hell" - David hissed. Emma placed a hand on his shoulder.

"David, it's OK. I can take care of this. Go home."

"You sure?" - he asked softly, glaring at Killian. Emma nodded. 

"Go. Tell Mary Margaret I said hi. I'll be fine, I promise. I've done this a million times." She deliberately omitted that none of her previous cases involved a literal liar, but David didn't need to know that. He hesitated but nodded, sending Killian the last glare before walking out. 

Emma took a seat across him in a spinning chair and narrowed her eyes. 

"Okay, you have two minutes." 

He sighed and began his tale. 

 

"Liam died when I was 12. Poisoning. He was the only one who didn't flinch when they heard what I was capable of. When he died, my parents put up with me for about three years before eventually kicking me out of the house. I got by, because I was no longer dumb enough to believe that people would see past.. past the curse. 

The writing - it helped. A lot. I used to write as James Hook, author of realistic fiction, but the books were too good. Writing was the only way I knew how to control myself, so I channeled the power through my characters. Eventually, I realised that I needed to change, so I became Killian Jones, the fantasy novelist. 

Escapism is a powerful thing, especially in this day and age. Members of a consumerist society don't get too many chances to completely lose themselves in a book. This is what gave me the idea in the first place, Emma. Writing fantasy has been a much better outlet for my curse - it's easy to get lost in "The Land that Never Was" and it's safer than getting obsessed with a character of realistic fiction. 

I just submitted the first draft of the first book when Victor Whale appeared in my life. He figured me out. He knew what I could do. I was about to tell him to get lost, but then he told me that he was a doctor who had the knowledge of how to bring dead people back to life. 

We met up a few times during that year. He told me he has previously attempted to revive his brother, but he always became a monster. A monster he couldn't control. Gerhardt became unhindged, didn't know who he was or what he was doing. Whale's father even got killed in the process. He approached me because of my power. His idea was to try and revive Gerhardt again but with my help. I was to write him a personality and persuade him that it is who he was."

Emma held up her hand to stop him. 

"Come again?"

"Think about it. I can convince a person to believe anything. Whale knew it, so he asked me to write him a Gerhardt. He told me what Gerhardt was like when he was alive and asked to... sort of compile a personality from those facts? It had to be clear and detailed for Gerhardt to believe it, so I spent several months working on it alongside "The Land that Never Was."

Emma nodded slowly. "Go on." 

"Emma, what you have to understand is that I was ready to do anything in the world to bring my brother back. I still am! Whale knew that, so he offered to revive Liam in exchange for my help. I obviously knew Liam better than anyone, so his personality was a little easier."

"Is that it? The draft of your brother's personality?" - Emma took out the manuscript and held it in front of him. His eyes widened. 

"Did you read it?" - he asked. She shook her head.

"I wanted to hear your side of the story first." 

A ghost of a smile graced his handsome features, but it was nowhere near enough to mask the pain and determination in his eyes.

"I appreciate that, Emma. I'll answer any questions you may have about Liam, but I must ask that you refrain from reading it. I know I'm not in any position to ask anything of you, and I don't expect you to understand, but..."

"I won't" - Emma promised, cutting him off. "What happened after you finished writing?"

"I only finished Liam's two days ago. Writer's block has been a bloody hindrance for weeks before I got here. I don't know... I guess I just thought being closer to Liam would help" - he shrugged pathetically. Emma nodded. 

"What are you planning to do?"

"The rest is up to Whale. I can do nothing but wait until Liam wakes up" - he replied. 

 


	21. Bargaining part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a little short, but I’m planning a write-a-thon for the last NaNo weekend, so the chapters will hopefully go back to their normal lengths. And don’t worry – the story will continue after November 30th :)
> 
> I still don’t own OUAT.

 

EMMA

_Eight years and six months ago_

 

Her target was a lying scumbag of a husband of a young pregnant woman who tricked her into giving up her house, her job, and isolating herself from her family. Her task was to lure him into a drinking establishment and get him to spill his secrets under the influence. Alcohol didn't necessarily make lying harder, but it did ease her task - she could draw on any slip-ups, and if he were to get suspicious, she could order another round. August's supply of numerous fake IDs made getting into bars at 19 easier. 

She was to get everything on tape. And then she was to cuff him and take him back to the car where she was to drive him to the police station, with the tape and an anonymous tip attached. 

She spotted him approaching the alley, where she was crouched in a black hoodie concealing a tight pink dress. 

"Target approaching" - she whispered into a comms unit. 

"Be careful. Don't just jump out and startle him" - August's voice was in his instructing mode. "Be relaxed and act as though you're just out on a stroll." 

 

Emma knew why by now. Her looks, combined with her "superpower", as Booth called it, could be a lethal combination for criminals who escaped justice and the system, according to the man who got her out of jail. She's been training every day with him for the past six months, and tonight was her first assignment. 

She still knew very little about Booth's personal life, only that he drove a motorbike, had a penchant for old things like typewriters, and carved wood in his spare time. It would be some time before she gets curious about where he got the tipoffs about the cases, though. 

Emma casually strolled out of the alley and walked towards the man, who slammed into her in the next second. 

"Oh!" - she squeaked. 

"You ok?" - he asked after she regained her balance. She shook her head.

"You almost knocked me over! Why did you do that?!" - she let out a fake whine. The man smirked.

"Can I make it up to you by buying you a drink?" 

"Don't say yes right away" - August told her.  _I know_ , Emma wanted to hiss back - after Neal, she wasn't going to willingly accept drink offers from strangers anytime soon. She bit her lip.

"I don't know - can you?" - she winked, cringing internally. August warned her that flirting was going to be a big part of this, but she hasn't anticipated how bad she was actually at it. It was all

The man leered at her. "Course I can, dearie. Come on, there's a place down the road. What's your name?" 

"Rebecca" - Booth whispered into her ear. 

"I'm Rebecca. And you are?" 

"John Prince." 

 

The pub was just as dingy as Emma imagined. She was careful not to let John notice that she was pouring her own drinks down a potted plant. He was only too happy to pour his own down his throat, which put Emma more at ease. 

"So" - she asked casually, leaning towards him - "what's your story?"

"Good start, but not universal - next time, try "What're you doing out there so late?" or something like that" - Booth instructed.

John shrugged. "Girl trouble."

 _100% truth._ She needed a lot more to go on. She sighed sympathetically. 

"She dumped you huh? What a fool, you're totally cute" - she gushed. 

"No, don't do that so early in the conversation. Could be dangerous."

Prince smirked. "Yeah well - not many girls can appreciate what they've got ya know? 

"Emma, recorder on now"

She clicked the button on a small device concealed in her purse. John didn't seem to notice, too busy staring at her chest. She nodded along.

"That sucks, John, I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "I got me revenge though. The bitch's got what was coming."

_What an asshole. And you are not lying._

"Go on, Emma. Order another round."

She complied, and John downed his seventh shot of tequila. 

"Wanna know how I did it?" - he whispered in Emma's ear. She tried not to flinch - she didn't even notice him sliding into the chair next to her. So much for Booth's observation lessons. She nodded eagerly. 

"Took away 'er 'ouse didn't I? She didn't suspect a thin' until she showed up after her little vacation. Oopsie, dearie, me name's on the deed!"

He laughed maniacally. She stood up, which John didn't seem to notice, grabbed a bottle of tequila and whacked him over the head from behind. He gasped and fell off the chair, apparently unconscious.

"Emma, what's going on?!" - Booth yelled into her ear. She winced. 

"I was being efficient" - she muttered. Judging by the very obvious anger in Booth's order to tie John up and place a chloroform-soaked cloth over his nose, she's screwed up. At least both items were safely stashed in her purse as a precaution. 

"You can't drag him to the car alone! Just write a note to the police and leave the tape recorder for them to find" - Booth ordered, still clearly pissed off. Emma complied and ran out of the pub to the car, where he was waiting. She wasn't wrong - his normally stony features were distorted in anger. She flinched, pulling her knees up to her chest. He didn't seem to notice. 

"Emma, what were you thinking?!" - he yelled. She looked down.

"He.. he was saying all these horrible things... he was vile!" - she cried out. August sighed. 

"Don't you see? They are ALL vile! All the scumbags that get away with stuff like this! You are what's needed to stop it, Emma! This is your destiny!"

He's never spoken to her like this before. 

"My what?" - she scoffed, relaxing slightly. "I don't have a destiny. I've nothing except a stupid skill nobody cares about." 

"Don't ever, and I mean ever, dismiss your gift again" - Booth spoke slowly and calmly. "Understand? Emma, you can do great things! Why do you think I found you in the first place?" 

Truthfully, she still didn't know. When they first met, he just told her that he was an old friend of Neal's and wanted to help. He didn't say anything about having powers of his own, and Emma didn't ask.  But she's always felt that there was more to the story. As hard and time-consuming the training has been, she was grateful for it, finally having a way to manage her power and turn it towards something. The problem was, however, that Booth had completely the wrong idea about that something. And it was time to tell him. 

 

_Present day_

None of the stuff Killian Jones was saying made sense. 

Oh, it was a perfectly coherent, a well thought-out story, that could have been plausible in a science fiction novel or a TV series. But what else could she have expected from a writer who lied for a living? No matter how genuine he seemed, Emma wasn't about to start trusting him. 

Still, a very small possibility that he was right was worth investigating. So she continued her questioning. 

"Where are Graham Humbert and Baelfire Gold?" - she asked the handcuffed writer. He gave her a blank look.

"Who?" Emma rolled her eyes. Was he serious?  
"Don't play dumb with me, Jones."

"I assure you lass, I haven't the slightest idea who those people are!" 

By that point, her gift's lack of use was frustrating her. 

"Jones, Graham Humbert was a patient of Whale's, and Regina murdered him on Whale's behalf. Why?" 

Upon seeing Killian's completely astonished expression, she remembered Booth's lessons. "It doesn't take a genius to fake a surprised expression, but you can always tell. Concentrate, Emma." After a while, she was able to tell fake astonishment from the real thing. And Killian Jones' current expression was as close to the real thing as it could possibly get. 

_Come on, Emma! He probably knows all the tricks in the book of lying!_

"She did what now?!"

Eventually, Emma's years of experience won over. 

"Okay, let's assume for a moment you didn't know about this. But give me your best guess - why would a patient of Whale's go missing six years ago right after his heart surgery?"

Killian paled, his blue eyes looking almost the same colour as the dark sky outside on the backdrop of his moonlit features. 

"Did you say heart surgery?" - he asked urgently.  

"Yeah... why?"

"Was it a heart transplant?"

"I don't know - is that important?"

Judging by Killian's rapid breathing, it was. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"It was... it was my idea" - he whispered, looking down. 

"What was?"

"The use of a transplant on Gerhardt. His own heart didn't work, and Whale was going to use Liam's. I.. I couldn't let t-that happen, Emma. I couldn't." 

Actors could cry on command, Emma knew that. And skilled criminals were usually good actors. But could writers? 

She really wanted to believe that the tears falling down onto the carpet from Killian's eyelashes were genuine, but at the same time, she didn't, because that implied that the rest of the story was true. And she couldn't deal with that. 

"Killian, what happened?" - she pressed on, understanding that a break wasn't a luxury either of them could afford. 

"I suggested that I... that we... that I would use... my p-power on... on someone who was d-dying of something that d-didn't have anything to do with their heart."

"I don't understand" - Emma was puzzled. 

"I... I thought I'd convince them to... to give up their heart for sci-science" - he was openly sobbing now, apparently having come to the same realisation as Emma. Whale didn't wait for whenever Killian was planning to do this. He killed someone for their heart. 

As if she hasn't received enough shocks today, another terrifying idea hit her. If Humbert's heart was being used for Whale's brother... did that mean that Neal's...

_OH MY GOD_

"EMMA!" - Killian cried out as she collapsed on the floor of his hotel room. 


	22. Bargaining part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was anyone surprised by the revelation in the last chapter about the heart transplant thing? Like I’d ever make Killian do that! Hehe ;) Here’s the first update of this weekend’s write-a-thon, keep your eyes opened for the next one! I still don’t own OUAT.

 

KILLIAN

 

He kneeled beside Emma's unconscious body, cursing the metal bracelets on his wrists, and shook her shoulder gently. 

"Emma, wake up! Wake up, sweetheart!" He shook her again, and patted her cheek lightly. He'd seen people slapping each other to get them to wake up on TV, but he really didn't want to strike her. She didn't move. 

"Bloody hell, Swan! Why did you have to cuff me?" - he cried out in frustration, pulling at the cuffs. The pain brought by the metal nearly piercing his skin did little to calm him down. 

"SWAN!" - he finally cried out as a small stray spike on the inside of the bracelet actually did unexpectedly pierce the skin on the inside of his wrist after he shook her shoulder again. That seemed to do the trick. He heard a moan from her lips and grabbed her hand, as well as he could.

"Emma, love, can you hear me?" - he called out. She groaned again and her eyes opened slowly. He would have enveloped her into a hug from relief, if he could. She blinked. 

"Killian? What.." - she rasped. 

"Yeah, love, it's me" - he smiled widely, taking her hand again carefully to pull her up in a sitting position. She ran her free hand through her hair, and looked around. The puzzled expression on her face was quickly replaced by that of horror as the memories of what has just transpired have seemingly returned. 

"Neal" - she whispered. 

"No, love. Killian. Whoever Neal is, I won't let him hurt you" - he didn't know why he said that. He remembered Emma mentioning a Neal that night at the bar and if he knew anything, it was that he never wanted to see her that broken again. She didn't appear to hear him.

"How long was I out?" - she asked instead after a few seconds. He blinked at the return of the determined and composed Emma he got to see over the past few days on several occasions.

"A few minutes? I would've moved you outside to get you some fresh air, but as you can see" - he held up his cuffed hands. 

"You're bleeding" - she remarked suddenly. He looked down, having forgotten about the puncture. Sure enough, there was a red trace disappearing down his arm about as thick as a string. 

"I'm OK. But could you, maybe, uncuff me now?" - he suggested hopefully. - "I saw you putting a key in your pocket when you sat me down?"

"Huh? Oh right" - she dove into her jeans pocket and unlocked the cuffs. He almost moaned at the relief she brought. 

"Many thanks, Swan. I can't help but hope that the cuffs weren't rusty" - he tried to add some self-deprecating humour to prolong the inevitable conversation. 

"You need something for that wound" - she spoke softly. He shrugged. 

"It's just a scratch, Emma. I'll be fine. You, on the other hand, do need some ice. For that bump on your head."

She touched her head with her fingertips and winced. He wasn't wrong - there was a small bump forming where her head made contact with the floor.

"I'll be fine. I've had worse" - she answered, rummaging through the drawers. Having found a first aid kit, she took out a band-aid and placed it over Killian's wrist. He held his breath and closed his eyes as her fingers touched his skin. He knew that those three seconds were possibly the last time Emma Swan would ever be nice to him. 

"Can I at least kiss your head better?" - he joked feebly, hoping to prolong the inevitable. No such luck.

"Jones, the only reason I took off the handcuffs was because you were hurt. Tell me where Neal Cassidy is, or I swear to God I'll put them back on and drag your sorry ass to the station myself" - she hissed. 

"Darling, for the last time, who is Neal Cassidy?!" - he cried out, wanting to help but not knowing how. 

"He also goes by Baelfire Gold, apparently. Where is he? If, and I'm not saying that I believe you, Graham Humbert's heart is indeed being used to revive Whale's dead brother, does that mean your own brother is getting his heart from someone else? Answer me!" 

Killian shook his head. "No! Lucky for me, Liam's heart is good, it's strong. It passed Whale's tests. He didn't need anyone else's, I swear!" 

"So where is Baelfire Gold then? If he hasn't been killed for a heart, where is he?" 

"Emma, I don't know who that is! You mentioned a Neal the other day, and again just a few minutes ago - is he the one you're trying to track down?" 

Hurt flashed in Emma's eyes. "No." 

And he understood. 

 

_Eight years ago_

 

EMMA

 

_Dear August,_

 

_Thank you for everything. I've learnt more about how to manage my power from you in a year than I have in the first eighteen years of my life. Thank you for showing me that it can be a good thing. And I can't thank you enough for getting me out of that hellhole and setting me up with a place of my own._

 

_But I can't be the person you want me to be. I can't be Supersaviour. I have to find Neal. While I'll be forever grateful to you for taking care of me, Neal is the only person like me. He understood like nobody else did. I have to find him. I have to get to the bottom of what happened to him. I can teach him to control his power like you taught me. Together, we can have something. A life, in which we're not considered freaks by the society. And maybe eventually, we can both be Supersaviours._

 

_I'm sorry,_

 

_Emma._

 

"What are you doing here?" - a voice behind her made Emma drop the note she was about to place on August Booth's kitchen table. She turned around to find him in his dressing gown. Apparently, she didn't break in as quietly as she'd hoped. 

"I was just..." - she stammered, mentally kicking herself for not spending enough time on a cover story. 

"What's that?" - he pointed at the note on the floor. 

"Nothing. I was just leaving. Sorry to wake you, August" - she made a move towards the door, but he grabbed her shoulder to stop her. 

"Emma, what's going on? Is there a problem?" - he demanded.

"No! Let me go!" - he complied and picked up the note, skimming over it. He sighed. 

"Sit down, Emma" - he said resignedly, pointing at a chair at the table. She took a seat, avoiding his eyes. That wasn't going to do. 

"Emma look at me!" - he urged. She finally looked up. 

"Emma, you're already The Supersaviour. You don't need Neal. He's not a good guy, Emma!" 

"I love him, August! I know you don't understand, but I do!" - Emma cried out. - "I have to find him. I need to find him!" 

"No you don't! The man abandoned you and set you up for a crime, practically ruining your life!"

"My life was ruined before I even met him, August" - Emma spoke softly. - "My life was ruined the moment I was born with that... that curse. I know you told me that it's a gift I have to treasure and appreciate, and I do! But I've been alone for the most of my life, a freak rejected by a society made up of liars. Neal was the first person to truly understand what I was going through. He's the only chance I've got at a some sort of life. Can you understand that?"

August ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I spent last year trying to show you that you  _can_  have a life without him, Emma! I taught you most things you know today, and you are ready to move on from him!" She scoffed.

"Yeah right - a life as a Supersaviour" - she made air quotes with her fingers as she spoke the word. 

"Well, why not? Think about it - you can finally fight back! You can make sure that the worst liars and criminals who slipped through the cracks made by other liars in powerful positions get what's coming to them! You can get justice for yourself! Neal is not the prize - your future is." 

"Neal is my future" - she whispered. - "What you taught me was - is - amazing. And I'm planning on using all that when I go look for him. 

August growled. "Emma, no! Think about it! You've been trained as a superhero with a power that can help you get justice and revenge for whoever or whatever you want! Neal is the guy who fools people into thinking he's not there in order to commit crimes of all sorts! Who's to say he hasn't escalated to bank robberies or even murder? And let's not forget the fact that this is the guy who put you in jail in the first place! I'm sorry but I don't really buy your theory how it was just a simple misunderstanding. Besides, he may have a superpower, but it doesn't change the facts that he treated you terribly. You can find others who will understand, Emma."

She snorted. "Yeah, because there are so many of us out there. You don't keep a bunch of Avengers in your basement per chance do you?" 

August didn't smile. "They don't have to have superpowers to love you. But you are privileged to have one. You need to use it wisely, not on a guy who's constantly belittled you and got you into a life of crime before setting you up to take the fall for him and disappearing! People just happen to suck that way! You can help putting some of those people away - don't tell me you don't like that idea!" 

She did. Revenge fantasies were something she did occasionally indulge in while in prison. The therapist guy said it was part of the anger stage of grief. 

Emma took a deep breath. "August, the day I got arrested, I promised myself that I would do anything to find Neal again. And I will!"

"Emma. He. Doesn't. Deserve. To. Be. Found" - August spoke through his teeth slowly. - "He hurt people. He hurt you! And so did others like him. I trained you to take down people like him! Do you understand THAT? You are a superhero now, and superheroes do good things!" 

Emma dropped her head into her hands. He sighed and spoke in a softer voice. 

"You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch. We can talk more in the morning. You're clearly exhausted." 

 

_The next morning_

"I thought about what you said" - Emma spoke as she sipped her coffee. - "And thank you. You were right. I spent most of the night running through every interaction Neal and I had, and you were right. He was an asshole to me. I just needed some perspective."

August beamed. "So you're ready to be Supersaviour I take it."

She nodded. "But I wanna do it on my terms. I don't just want to be the girl who runs around in a red leather suit, putting bad people in jail. I know firsthand how much the actual victims suffer, and I don't want anyone to suffer like that. And I certainly have been through enough. I want my share. And I will take each scumbag I put away for everything they have." 

 

_Present day_

KILLIAN

He understood. The bargaining stage of the grief he himself felt after Liam passed away was - is - the hardest. Whale was able to tap into his emotions and use him. It appeared that this Neal, or Baelfire, or whatever his name was, was someone Emma lost a long time ago. 

"Emma, I'm truly, truly, sorry, but I don't know anything about Neal or Baelfire as you call him. I wish I could help" - he spoke softly. She ignored him. 

"What you told me, about you and Whale trying to bring your brothers back to life - was that all true?" - she finally spoke.

"Every word. I swear on Liam's life, it's all true" - he replied.

"Then tell me one thing, Killian Jones" - she spoke softly, but her tone was the opposite. "If Liam's heart weren't working properly, would you have used someone else's? Would you let Whale kill someone for that?"

"Emma, I didn't know he was going to kill someone!" - he argued pathetically.

"That's not an answer."

He sighed. "We both know the answer, Emma Swan. And it's not something I would ever apologise for.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clearly, I'm not a Neal fan either ;) Does anyone else just love the Emma/Killian parallels though?! Review please, and thanks for reading!


	23. Small Towns and Zombies and Science Oh My!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here’s write-a-thon update number 2! Pause for a moment, but shall be resumed tomorrow! Still don’t own OUAT.

 

Emma didn't get a chance to answer. A knock on the door stopped her. She and Killian stilled, looking at each other with the same question in their eyes. David or Whale?

"Is everything OK in there?" - a voice spoke outside the door. 

It was neither. Emma shivered from the chills in Regina Mills' voice. 

"I heard shouting, is anybody hurt?" - she called out again. Emma hastily shoved the handcuffs into her purse, pressed her index finger to her lips and walked towards the door. 

"Everything's fine!" - she yelled. Having Regina Mills come in would create a whole new lot of problems she wasn't ready to face. Not so soon after what she's just found out. 

Regina knocked again, however. Emma gritted her teeth and opened the door. 

"Madame Mayor" - she nodded. The other woman looked stunned. 

"Miss Sutter?" - she uttered. - "What are you doing here?" 

"I could ask you the same" - Emma replied coldly. 

"I was visiting a friend in a room next door and heard screams, so I decided to see if everything was alright in here" - Regina said. 

_Liar_

Emma let it go, however.

"Everything's fine, Madame Mayor."

"Is everything fine, Mr Jones?" - Regina ignored Emma, pushing past her into the room and approaching Killian, who looked pissed. 

"Yes" - he snapped. - "Can we help you?" 

 "If Miss Sutter is bothering you, I can get her removed from the premises for good, just say the word" - Emma wanted nothing else than to whack Regina over with a chair at that moment. 

"She isn't. She just has some questions about a case. And I'd appreciate if you let us proceed" - he spoke slowly, clearly hating the woman almost as much as Emma did. 

Regina didn't flinch, but kept smiling.

"Very well. Good night, Mr. Jones. Miss Sutter" - she nodded and exited the room. 

"Thanks for that" - Emma spoke when she was certain Mayor Mills has walked away from the door. 

"My pleasure, lass. She gone?"  
"Yeah"

"Then may I suggest we get some sleep and resume the footwork in the morning?" - he raised his eyebrows at Emma, who scoffed.

" _We?_ Jones, are you forgetting that you were a suspect not even a minute ago and that I haven't ruled you out completely yet?" 

He shrugged. "I assume asking you to trust me would lead to naught?" 

"You assume correctly." 

He nodded. "Oh well. I suppose I'm lucky you're not cuffing me to a chair overnight, love. Take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch. It's almost 4 am, neither of us are awake enough to drive to Belfast."

Shit. Emma has completely forgotten about the time. She hastily opened her purse and clicked on the white button on her iPhone. Just as she expected, there were about 25 missed calls from Ruby and just as many texts. She sighed.

"Where's the bathroom?" - she asked, and Killian gestured to a white door on Emma's left. She walked inside a spacious room, took a seat on the edge of the bathtub and dialled Ruby's number. She answered on the first ring.

"EMMA! Where are you?! Are you OK?!" 

"Calm down, Ruby. I was questioning a suspect and lost track of time, I'm sorry!"

"What happened, Emma?!" - she also heard Belle screeching at the background. Ruby must've put her on speaker. 

"Let's just say that if I thought our case was complicated before, it's just surpassed all the Nancy Drew mysteries, kicked "The Reichenbach Fall's" ass, and made Jeffersonian squint-squad cry like little girls."

She heard Ruby sigh and Belle hmm-ed. "So... it is a small down mystery where someone is dead but not really and there's science involved?" 

Emma couldn't help but marvel at Belle's deduction skills. "That sounds about right". 

"What did you find?"

"Well, it started when I found the Crypt...." 

Stunned silences were the only reaction her friends gave her after she told them the story. And she told them everything. So what if she omitted Killian Jones' role in all of this? She'd figure out why later. 

"Emma, can we just tell you what  _we_  found before we sit down to process all this?" - Ruby was barely holding herself together, so Emma said "yes". 

"So, we forwarded those photos of newspapers you took to Sidney, and he couldn't find them in any electronic database he has access to. But these things haven't been around for very long, so he'd need to do some hands-on research, which he's ecstatic about, as you can imagine..."  
Emma could. Sidney Glass didn't believe in recycling hearsay evidence, only in getting his hands dirty to get the real story. That was why she picked him of all people as her mole in the journalism industry. 

"Anyway, we're waiting on that. Also, we found Henry, Regina's assistant. He lives in New Zealand, so that's a bust. But we did hear something from the bug you planted at Regina's."

"What?"

"She had a meeting with Whale a few hours after you showed up at her place. I'm e-mailing you the record right now."

"Cheers, Ruby. I'll be staying in Storybrooke tonight". Suddenly Emma found Killian Jones to be right - she wasn't going to get anything else done tonight and she really needed to rest after the encounter with Regina. 

"Really? Where? Nolan's?" 

"Yeah" - Emma hated lying to her friends, but she couldn't very well say she was sleeping in a hotel room with Killian Jones. 

"Okay. Night, Ems."

"G'night" - she yawned, as her phone pinged with a new e-mail. Before opening it, she texted David to tell him she was fine, and plugged in her headphones to listen to the recording. 

 

**_Whale_ ** _: What do you need?_

**_Regina:_ ** _I need you to make a new serum._

**_Whale:_ ** _Why?_

**_Regina:_ ** _here's a new cop in town, and I don't like her poking her nose to where it doesn't belong. She's getting a little too friendly with the Sheriff._

**_Whale_ ** _: So?_

**_Regina_ ** _: So I don't want her getting her hands on any warrants she may use to get information and stumble upon something she might fight interesting._

**_Whale_ ** _: What do I get out of this?_

**_Regina:_ ** _How about I don't tell her about your... medical practices? Whatever it is you're doing, it will never be traced back to me, whereas you'd be screwed._

**_Whale_ ** _: You're a piece of work you know that?_

**_Regina_ ** _: So do we have a deal?_

**_Whale_ ** _: What kind of serum?_

**_Regina:_ ** _How about the one you administered to Mary Margaret Blanchard and others all those years ago?_

**_Whale_ ** _: Which one?_

**_Regina_ ** _: You know which one. I want to keep her around. She looks a little too familiar to me._

**_Whale_ ** _: You'll get it as soon as it's ready._

**_Regina_ ** _: Pleasure doing business with you as always, Dr Whale._

 

Emma was pissed. They were talking about her. And Mayor Mills wanted to poison her. She had to tell David and Mary Margaret the truth. 

_Yes, because that would go over so well - hi, I'm a virtual stranger but you're in danger from the Doctor who's been treating you for the last six years and the mayor of this town. Oh and by the way, I know this because I'm a renegade who can tell when others talk bullshit._

Emma now had a headache. The pounding was getting more and more frequent. 

"Swan? You ok?" 

Wait. 

The pounding was coming from the outside. 

She stood up and opened the door slowly. Killian looked into her eyes. 

"Are you alright, love?" - he asked, leading her back to the room gently and sitting her down on the couch. 

"I'm fine. Just got a headache". He took a seat next to her.

"That doesn't surprise me, you hit your head pretty hard. Do you want to go lie down? I can bring you some water and pills?" - he offered gently. She was unsettled by his concerned look. 

"I can just crash here, Killian."

He shook his head. "You're gonna feel even worse in the morning if you do. Come on." He grabbed her hands and pulled her up for the second time that night, and led her into the adjacent bedroom. 

"Give me your jacket and shoes, I'll get you something to change into" - he offered. She complied, climbing under the covers. He returned just after a minute with a black hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.

"It's not much, but I can imagine it's more comfortable than sleeping in jeans" - he gestured to her legs, raising his eyebrow. 

"Thanks Killian. I would've been fine with jeans, though - nothing I'm not used to." 

He sighed. "Here's some Tylenol". He set the bottle and a glass of water on the bedside table. 

"Goodnight, Emma. I'll be in the next room. Call me if you need anything." 

She nodded. "Night, Killian." 

She didn't have the energy to ponder his attitude as she changed into the soft clothes. And if she were honest with herself, it was hell of a lot better than sleeping in jeans. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, Killian <3 Any guesses as to what Regina’s up to? Kudos to anyone catching the references to things ;) Reviews are the best kind of motivation :)


	24. The Change in the Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the day, guys. The day I win NaNoWriMo for the second year in a row. I'm only a few hundred words short after this chapter, so I'll write the next one and post it within the next few hours :) Stay tuned and thank you all so much for reading! I still don't own OUAT or anything else you may recognise.

 

 

_He was holding something that was glowing red in his hand. His brother's heart. And the curly-haired owner of the heart in question was currently lying on an operating table six feet underneath Storybrooke Memorial._

_"Do it, Killian" - Whale's voice spoke into his ear. "Do it now. He's ready"._

_He nodded and leaned forward._

_"Come home, Liam" - he whispered, kissing his brother's cold forehead, and held out his hand, ready to place the heart where it belonged. Just as the glowing object was about to touch Liam's skin, however, eyes identical to Killian's snapped open._

_"What are you doing, little brother?" - Liam spoke. It was his voice and yet it wasn't - he sounded cold and exasperated._

_"Liam!" - Killian gasped. "Just hold on a little, I'm bringing you home!"_

_"With what? This?" - his brother scoffed. His eyes were focused on the object in Killian's hand._

_"It's your heart, Liam! I need to put it back!"_

_Liam laughed. The laugh gave Killian chills. "This isn't my heart, Killy. My heart would never be that dark."_

_"What are you talking about?" - Killian breathed out and looked down at his hand._

_The heart wasn't glowing anymore. It was coal black._

_"No..." - he whispered. He couldn't move an inch._

_"Why would you use your own heart to restore me, Killian? So I could end up just like you? You're consumed by darkness, and you always will be!" - Liam roared._

_"NO!" - Killian screamed, his world going black_.

 

* * *

 

EMMA

Emma slept surprisingly well, given the circumstances. At least until about 7.30 am, when she was woken up by a heart-wrenching cry of pain coming from the other side of the wall. After blinking away the renmants of her sleep and remembering where she was, Emma gasped and ran out of the bedroom into the next room. What she saw was Killian Jones, the famous snarky writer with a gift for perfect lies and no home to call his own, lying on his stomach and screaming into a cushion. Emma could make out the words "No", "Liam" and "come back". Her heart, that was hardened beyond thawing by the lying, thieving, murdering scumbags, the heart that she thought could take almost anything by now, broke at the sight of that broken man. 

She rushed over to the couch and kneeled beside him. 

"Killian, wake up!" - she called out softly. All she received in response was a wail. She shook his black shirt-clad shoulder, noticing for the first time that he was still wearing the jeans he had on three hours ago. A startling realisation that she probably was currently wearing the only comfortable clothes he brought with him was quickly overshadowed by another loud scream and a sob. Emma shook him again. 

"Killian, wake up! You're just dreaming!" - she called louder and kept shaking. He was still sobbing, holding onto the cushion as though it was a  board of a sinking ship and he was trying very hard not to drown. Her own heart felt as though it was sinking. 

"Killian, come back to me!" - she tried again, and miraculously, with one last shake, his eyes opened and he yelped, startling Emma. 

"Killian, it's OK, you were dreaming!" - she spoke urgently to him, placing one hand on his cheek. He looked at her with widened eyes, like a deer in the highlights, but didn't pull away. 

"Emma?" - he whispered. 

"Yeah, it's me. You just had a nightmare, you're OK" - she whispered back and one second later, felt his arms envelop around her. 

"Oh! Okay" - she patted his back awkwardly, feeling him relax slightly. She felt moisture on her cheek that was tightly pressed against his, but didn't comment. 

"Do you want to lie back down and try to get some sleep?" - she whispered after a minute and detangled herself carefully when she felt a small nod. She replaced the soaked cushion and watched his dark hair sprawl across it as he attempted to make himself comfortable. Emma suddenly felt terrible - she was taking advantage of his hospitality and getting a relatively good night's sleep in his double bed, while he was thrashing around on a couch that was way too small for his almost 6 foot frame. 

"Killian, maybe you should take the bed this time" - she suggested with a tone of finality in her voice. He opened his mouth to argue but she shook her head. 

"I don't think I'll get any more sleep tonight anyway" - she lied. "Come on". He sighed but nodded and grabbed her hand, squeezing it slightly. Emma nodded, understanding that he was saying "thank you". 

After she made sure that he was lying underneath the covers comfortably, she turned around to exit, but a soft voice made her freeze on the spot. 

"Emma" - a broken whisper that fell from his lips almost made her heart sink again. She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Yeah? Can I get you anything?" - she asked just as softly. He shook his head. 

"I just... I've never really been able to go back to sleep after a nightmare before... Could you.. maybe.." - the hesitation and the plea in his voice made Emma crumble. 

"Of course" - she nodded, sighing. Killian's lips formed a small smile. 

"You can read or something, there're some books in there" - he gestured at a wooden bedside table. She nodded and grabbed a random one, chuckling at the title. 

"Do you always carry your own books with you?" - she asked lightly, placing a pillow against the wall behind her back. He shrugged, lifting the covers for Emma to slip underneath. She raised her eyebrows but pulled them up to her waist. 

"Do you.. want to talk about the dream?" - she asked, unsure of what to say. He sniffed. 

"It was about Liam" - Killian finally spoke after a minute. "He.. wasn't too happy with the person I'd become... And he's right to not be." 

Emma was seeing his resolve crumbling and didn't press on. 

"Try to go back to sleep, Killian. I'll be here" - she promised. He nodded. 

"Thank you, sweetheart" - he whispered, closing his eyes. 

Killian, however twitched and whimpered several times during the next hour, so Emma tried to help the only way she knew how. She remembered David Nolan stroking Mary Margaret's hair and rubbing her back when she was scared and confused at the hospital and it seemed to have worked. Eventually, Emma did fall asleep that night, with her hand still tangled in Killian's hair and his head on her lap. 

They didn't speak about what has transpired between them when they woke up four hours later, but both of them knew - things would never be the same between them again. 

 

* * *

 

"So what's the plan once we get there?" - Killian asked Emma when they got into her car to drive to the Sheriff's house. 

"We tell them about what Regina's done to Mary Margaret. And if they don't believe us, we show them proof" - Emma replied. He nodded.

"Do you think we should also tell them about... you know? I mean, Dave's already overheard us discussing a "power" last night, he'll start asking questions" - Killian suggested nervously. Emma had to appreciate that he was willing to volunteer that information - by now, she had a pretty good idea of the lengths he went to to control it and keep it a secret. She sighed. 

"I guess so. David told me that Mary Margaret had a power like mine and that it still works, so I suppose they wouldn't be too weirded out by ours?" - she spoke uncertainly. 

"I doubt that, love. I was there when she first used it after she woke up, remember? I knew then that your gift and hers were of a similar sort, just didn't know what to make of it" - he reminded her. She hesitated before asking the question on her mind.

"Did you ever... meet anyone like you? Before me, I mean?"

"No. You were the first. And it felt like I was a stowaway seeing a lighthouse for the first time" - Killian told her, his voice full of emotion and sincerety. Emma bit her lip. She didn't want to deal with whatever was going on between them right now. 

"How about you, lass? Have you ever met anyone with a gift like yours?" - he inquired. 

"Not.,. exactly like mine" - she replied vaguely. He nodded. 

"Was it that Neal person?" - her companion asked softly. She stared at him, forgetting she was holding a steering wheel for a moment. 

"How do you know?" - she asked, stunned. He shrugged. 

"You had that look in your eyes when you talked about him last night. Like he was a kindred spirit you've lost a long time ago."

_Damn him and his writer's perspective_

"Yes, it was Neal" - she replied grudgingly. "He could... disappear and make people walk by him without even noticing he was there. Disappearing was the only thing he was good for" - she added the last part under her breath and saw Killian nod.

"My apologies, lass. I didn't mean to pry." 

Emma nodded. "It's fine. We're here by the way" - she gestured at David's apartment building and got out of the car, Killian following closely behind. 

David let them in, anxiety written all over his kind face. 

"Emma, are you OK? What happened, after I left?" - he was firing questions at her and hostile glares at Killian as they made their way into the sitting room, where Mary Margaret was curled up in an armchair with a book. 

"Hi Emma! Hi... Killian?" - she waved to them. Emma waved back, and Killian nodded. 

"I'm fine, David. I promise. Killian's no longer a suspect" - she explained briefly. David narrowed his eyes.

"As your friend, I believe you, but as a Sheriff, I'm gonna need a little more than that" - he spoke fast, gesturing onto a couch for them to sit. 

"David, it's Regina" - Emma got straight to the point after sitting down, with Killian beside her. "Regina and Whale. I know you like Whale, but he is dirty!"

"Emma, what...?" - David was puzzled. 

"She's telling the truth" - a soft voice interrupted them. 

"Sorry?" 

"She isn't lying, David" - Mary Margaret spoke softly. Emma beamed.

"If you don't trust me, trust your wife! You're both in danger from Regina and Whale, and I can prove it!" 

"What?!" - David was shaking now, and Mary Margaret got onto her feet. 

"Mate, just give us your computer, we'll show you!" - Killian pleaded. David threw up his hands and groaned. Mary Margaret reached for a laptop on the top shelf and turned it on. Emma nodded to thank her and got out the memory stick with Regina and Whale's first conversation. 

A stunned silence took over the room after the file finished playing. David and Mary Margaret had their arms around each other as though they were afraid they might break. Killian looked furious. Emma, however, knew that they had to listen to what she's heard last night, too. She took out her phone and clicked play on the file Ruby e-mailed her. 

"What... what did she give me?" - Mary Margaret whispered after what seemed like an hour. 

"We don't know" - Emma answered. 

"I'm going to the hospital" - David growled, releasing Mary Margaret. 

"David, stop! Why?" 

"To find Whale and beat the shit out of him" - he hissed, reaching for his gun. Killian stood up and held out his hands in front of the Sheriff.

"Dave, don't! Not yet! We still don't know enough! I want to kick his bloody arse as much as you do, but it's Regina we need to take down first!" - he was holding David by the shoulders at that point while Emma silently wondered when Killian Jones became a part of "them". 

David bared his teeth at Killian, but relaxed slightly after a few moments. Killian gave him a small smile. 

"That's it, buddy. Come on, let's grab a beer, give the ladies a chance to talk" - he spoke gently, and David grudgingly walked towards the kitchen. Before he could close the door, Killian shot Emma a wink and mouthed "Tell her". 

 


	25. The Change in the Game Part 2

EMMA

"Mary Margaret, I hate to ask" - Emma spoke as soon as David and Killian were behind the kitchen door - "but did you manage to remember anything at all? From before?" 

The dark-haired woman shook her head. "Not really. Well, I sometimes get these... flashes of familiar emotions around people or objects? Like, with David, I knew that I must have loved him dearly, and I still do - the emotional connection is familiar - but I don't remember how we met, or where we got married, or even if we've got any kids..." 

She sighed, and Emma nodded, urging her to continue. "He's been great though - he tells me every single detail. And I know he wouldn't lie to me." 

Emma nodded again. "He told me about your power. Would you mind telling me more about it?" - she spoke gently, trying to hide the curiousity bubbling in her stomach. 

Mary Margaret hesitated. "You would probably find it strange and impossible, but one thing I did remember, after I got out of the hospital, is that I've always had this thing where I could tell when people lied…”

Seeing no muscle twitches on Emma's face, Mary Margaret let out a breath Emma didn't realise she's been holding and continued:

"So anyway, this lie detector thing - I don't quite know what it is, to be honest - David and I talked about it, and I believe him when he says he's OK with it, but I know he's been sugarcoating other people's reactions to it. It doesn't bother me as much as it should though - is that strange?" 

Emma shook her head. "I understand. Believe me, I do."

Mary Margaret chuckled nervously. "What, do you have a lie detector inside you too?" 

"Yes" - Emma deadpanned. She didn't feel like tiptoeing around the potential elephant in the room right now. 

Mary Margaret's green eyes widened. "Wait... what?" 

Emma opened her mouth to explain, but a buzz of her phone interrupted her. She saw "1 new e-mail from Belle French" displaying on the screen.

"Hold that thought. I just need to see this e-mail quickly" - she told Mary Margaret and tapped on the envelope. 

 

_"Hey Emma,_

 

_Hope you're OK, you sounded a little strange last night. Let us know when you're getting back will you? We're a little worried..._

 

_In other news, I've been dipping my toes in the world of superheroes as you asked for the last couple of days and let me tell you - Internet is a scary place! After filtering through thousands of comments from fanboys and fangirls, I did manage to find some stuff you might find useful._

 

_The superpower that seems to be the closest match to Neal's is Imperciptibility. Examples in fiction include The Silents from Doctor Who, which I know about, and someone called Ramurans from Star Trek. Neal's case is slightly different, however. From what you told me, he falls under a spectrum of Unnoticeability which is a sub-power of Imperciptibility. To go with the Doctor Who theme, it's like a perception filter, although you didn't say anything about there being a specific object that triggers the power did you? It's never explicitly stated anywhere, but by all logic, Neal's power should be genetic._

 

_Emma, if I'm right about this, Neal would be impossible to find unless he wants to be found. Now, I know you didn't exactly ask me to look into yours but here's what I learnt:_

_Your power does exist in the subculture of superheroes. It's known as Lie Detection, Intuitive Polygraphy or Lie Sensing. You appear to be quite an advanced user - most recipients can't differentiate between a white lie or a secret. You probably already know all the examples from fiction, but some of the ones I found are Sylar from Heroes and River Tam from Firefly. There are mixed views on whether the power is genetic or occurs as a result of someone's interference, but Ruby's gut tells her yours is the former._

 

_Give us a call when you can,_

 

_Belle._

 

"Emma? Is everything OK?" - Mary Margaret's question was spoken as soon as Emma finished reading the e-mail. 

"Yes" - she spoke absentmindedly, pondering in her mind the implications of what Belle told her. 

"Emma?" - Mary Margaret tried again. "Before you got the e-mail, we were talking about my power?" 

Emma nodded. "Mary Margaret, what I said is true. I can do the exact same thing you can. I've been able to since I can remember."  
The brunette's mouth formed an "O". She blinked slowly, not saying a word. 

"You know I'm telling the truth!" - Emma tried. "I've been able to tell when someone is lying since I was a kid, but I couldn't control it properly until I was in my late teens. I know you don't remember much about it, and I know we've only met a few days ago, but I've never met anyone like me before..."

"Yes you have" - Mary Margaret interrupted her speech. "Maybe not exactly like you, but you've known people who were different, haven't you?" 

Emma sighed and nodded. "Yes. You're right, I have. My... my ex-boyfriend could... well, he could make people believe they didn't see him. That he wasn't there... I don't really understand it myself..." 

Mary Margaret sighed. "But how... I mean, how did you handle it? Did your parents help you? Do you know where it came from? I tried asking David about my situation, but he said neither of us ever knew..."

"God I'm just all over the place with this!" - she cried out suddenly, throwing her hands up. "I wake up, not having any idea who I am or who all these people are standing around me, and this guy tells me he's my husband, and this other guy tells me that I've been comatose for God knows how long because of some accident, and I just know that he's lying but I can't explain how I know, and UGH!" 

She was out of breath by the time she's finished speaking, and her face was buried in her knees, her shoulders shaking slightly. Emma stood up and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder gently. 

This was a new territory to her. In the last twelve hours, she's had to comfort two people she barely knew but somehow, felt connected to. Of course, she's attempted to make the victims in her cases feel better a few times, usually by means of a brief hug or an awkward clap on the shoulder followed by a bag of untraceable cash. However, these moments were fleeting and she never dwelled on them. Not having many sources of comfort until she was adopted at 9 left some very deep scars on her soul that still stung whenever she saw a mother wrapping her arms around a small boy or a little girl riding on her father's shoulders. It took her almost two years to even let her adoptive parents kiss her goodnight, and by then, it was a rare occurrence since she was deemed to be "too old". 

Feeling Mary Margaret's slender body relax slowly underneath her hand, however, was a lot less awkward than Emma imagined it would be. 

"I'm sorry" - the brunette sniffed after a moment. "I didn't mean to have a meltdown in front of you. It's just - it's a bit much, that's all".

Emma nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to overwhelm you." 

"I know. I'm alright now, I think."

Emma took a seat next to her on the sofa. "Do you have any idea - any at all - why the mayor would do such a thing to you?" 

Mary Margaret shrugged. "I wish I did! It's one thing to pay for something you did knowingly, and it's quite another to find out that you're targeted for something you don't even remember doing." 

Emma bit her lip. Did she want to tell this woman about her own experiences with Regina? On the one hand, she barely knew her. On the other, however, she knew first hand how damaging Regina's influence and power could be, and the Mayor wasn't like any other criminals Emma's dealt with. Her vendetta against Regina was personal. And she didn't want anyone else getting hurt in the future. Besides, her power told her Mary Margaret wasn't faking any aspect of her amnesia.

"Mary Margaret?" 

"Yeah?"

"I have to tell you something. I've met Regina. Before I got here, I mean."

"When?"

"About 12 years ago. I was just a kid in high school and she was the principal. I figured out she was stealing quite a lot of money from the parent committee and school funds, so I confronted her. I got expelled and... other things happened. This woman is evil. Pure evil. Whatever you did to her, it couldn't have been so bad she had to order someone to put you in a coma!" 

The woman smiled at Emma, looking reassured. "Thanks, Emma. Do you... do you maybe want to talk more about the thing?" - she asked hesitantly.

Emma frowned. Did she? If she was correct in her deductions, Mary Margaret had the exact same gift as she did, and, given Belle's e-mail and Ruby's instincts, which were never wrong, her and the woman in front of her could very well be... Did she want to open that can of worms right now, if ever? 

Suddenly, a memory of Killian's voice resurfaced in her head. " _It was like I was a stowaway seeing a lighthouse for the first time"_  - he said. If that was the way he felt, what if Emma could feel that way too? 

 _What if you already do? - another voice, too much like her own, spoke into her ear._  Emma sighed and began to speak. 

 

KILLIAN

While Emma and Mary Margaret were chatting in the living room, David and Killian were each having a can of beer in a kitchen filled with tension to the ceiling.  Finally, Killian had had enough and cleared his throat. 

"Look, mate - I get that you don't like me, believe me, I do. But if you have questions, I promise I'll answer each and every one of them as honestly as I can." - he spoke, not breaking eye contact with the Sheriff. 

David rolled his eyes but nodded. "What was that "power" you and Emma were talking about yesterday?"

Killian explained, watching David's facial expressions change every 20 seconds from disbelieving to furious to astonished. 

"So are you or are you not working with Whale and Regina?" - he asked after Killian was done.

"No! Well, I was working with Whale, but I had no idea who Regina even was until Emma told me! And as of yesterday, I don't think I'll be working with Whale for much longer either" - he added darkly. 

"Why's that?"

Killian sighed. "This might come as a shock to you, but I'm not the biggest fan of murderers. And the shit Whale and Regina pulled with that poor bloke's heart is murder if I've ever seen one."

David snorted. "So you're bothered by murder but you're OK with convincing living, breathing people to give up their hearts for your own selfish benefit?" 

Killian's cheeks flushed. "I will never deny my selfishness" - he spoke slowly - "but do not think, for even one moment, that I would use my powers on a man who had even the smallest chance of recovery. Whale told me that the man was beyond saving, that was the only reason I agreed!" 

The Sheriff sighed. "So you have no idea why Whale and Regina chose Graham Humbert as a donor?" 

"None whatsoever. But if you ask me, I don't believe Regina is directly involved in Whale's medical endeavours"

"Yeah, if you ignore the fact she murdered poor Humbert for his heart which - oh yeah - was for Whale's dead brother!"

Killian sighed. "You heard the recording, mate. She didn't care about what he was doing on his own time. She's got something else going on. I know that, and Emma knows that. And whatever it is, you and your lovely wife are a part of it."

David nodded and propped his head with his palm, deep in thought. Killian's thoughts were swarming all over the place. 

He was hoping that by now, Emma figured out how to get to the bottom of Regina's plot, whatever that was, and to take her down, because he wasn't having much luck. The only thing he felt would be of help was to interrogate Whale the same way Emma interrogated him the very night before. The hospital records weren't of any use beyond what they already knew, Emma told him this morning. Somehow, however, he knew that the answer was staring them right in the face.

He sighed and cast his mind back to the first time he met Emma properly. They were in Storybrooke Memorial, Mary Margaret has just reunited with her husband, and Whale was informing them of what happened, while tending to the other patient in the room...

The other coma patient. 

What if she has woken up by now?

Killian gasped and dashed into the living room, where he literally collided with Emma's body.

"OOF" - he yelped at the impact. 

"I'm sorry!" - they both cried out at the same time and tried to catch their breath. 

"I was just..."

"I was about to.."

"Go get you..."

"Go tell you..."

"Whale had..."

"The hospital room..."

"The blonde woman..."

"Elsa..."

 

"Guys!" - David pulled them apart. "One of you, please tell me what the hell's happening!" He gestured towards Emma, who nodded.

"So me and Mary Margaret were talking and she remembered that Whale was keeping another patient in her room, a woman named Elsa. I thought we could go see if she was awake and could help in any way". 

David nodded. "Good idea. Killian?"

"Yeah, what she said" - he panted. 

Mary Margaret grabbed her coat from the hanger. "Let's go then!" 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God. I did it. I won NaNoWriMo 2014 (ignore the wordcount here - it's all done and validated on the NaNo portal). Leave me some reviews to celebrate :D and remember – Supersaviour is far from over ;)


	26. Fire Remember With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! Thank you all so much for reviews and congratulations :) the show must go on though, and here’s a new chapter for you guys! As usual, I don’t own anything you may recognise.

 

"So any idea how we're going to locate a single comatose woman in a hospital full of hawk-eyed trained professionals the majority of whom are probably supervised by our dear friend Whale?" - Killian voiced his concerns sarcastically from the passenger seat. Emma shrugged. 

"David's a Sheriff and Mary Margaret is a former patient of Whale's, I'm sure we'll get through with them."

"And I don't suppose you have a detailed plan of the entire building with you?"

Emma narrowed her eyes at his attitude. "Actually, I do. Before we found Gerhardt and Liam, David and I spent some time looking through the archives in Regina's office and found some old blueprints. I took some photos on my phone, so the only problem is figuring out where Whale could've moved Elsa after the fire."

"What if she's no longer in there?" - David spoke up from behind Emma. The blonde smirked. 

"Well, David, this would be a first for me, but do you think you could get a warrant to search Regina's place and her office?"

 _"A true renegade knows when to employ the system to their advantage" -_ a memory of one of her lessons with Booth suddenly came to her.

David nodded. "I think I can, yes - I'd need to use the recordings you made as probable cause, though." 

"Alright." 

"So the plan is to search an entire building for a blonde in a coma?" - Killian said sceptically. - "At least let me help and use my charm" - he made air quotes with his fingers as he spoke the last word - "on the staff. That way, we can be quicker." 

"Maybe... Maybe we could start with the actual room Elsa and I were at?" - Mary Margaret suggested from the seat next to David, who gave her a concerned look.

"It's probably still surrounded by tape with a "Keep Out" sign at the door. In fact, I know it is because - oh yeah - my own department put it there!" - David spoke, sounding almost as sarcastically as Killian. His wife, however, merely winked, smirking. 

"Well then, I guess you have the authority to take it down?" David looked affronted, and Killian chortled. 

"You two are uncannily similar" - he said softly to Emma, who gave him a weird look. 

"Don't know what you're talking about."  

"Mary Margaret, I can't just be alright with you going into a room covered in soot that's likely to collapse!" - David argued, but Mary Margaret shrugged. 

"It's gonna be fine, David! We'll just check it out quickly to see if it can tell us where Elsa was moved to" - she disagreed. 

"I am so going to regret this" - he grumbled under his breath.

 

It took about half an hour of manoevring between corridors, dodging stray doctors and nurses and David flashing his badge before they even made it to the staircase leading to the old rooms. Emma shivered at the memory of running down those stairs while the fire was raging above and around her, and Killian furrowed his eyebrows at her, concerned.

"You alright, lass?" 

She shrugged. "Fine. Let's just get this over with." 

Unbeknownst to her, David and Mary Margaret were experiencing a similar feeling of unease, even though the latter didn't remember why. 

Emma tiptoed down first, closely followed by Killian and David and Mary Margaret, who were grasping each other's hands tightly. True to David's word, there was a yellow tape stuck on the entrance. 

"Everybody, be careful and watch where you step" - Emma whispered, before opening the door slightly and sneezing almost immediately. 

"It still stinks" - she muttered, remembering that night. 

"Want me to go in first?" - Killian offered and received a glare in return. 

"No, I don't. You either follow me or stay here and be on the lookout." He opted to follow her into the room. 

To this day, Emma still was unsure of what actually had transpired that night. Whale told her that the magnificent ice sculptures and figurines around the room that were apparently a result of a blonde woman named Elsa doing magic in her sleep, were just a hallucination induced by excessive amounts of carbon monoxide. Her brain was fuzzy at that point so she had no idea whether he was lying or not. David, who was there with her, claimed to not remember a thing. 

The room looked... dead. Devoid of life. Could rooms be considered dead, Emma wondered, if the patients in them were presumed to be on the brink of their death? Stopping herself from voicing that thought when she remembered that one of those very patients was standing right behind her, she stepped over a pile of soot on the floor and approached the bed she remembered to be Elsa's. 

"You feel that, don't you?" - Killian's whisper into her ear made her jump. She whacked him on the shoulder. 

"Don't do that!" 

"My apologies" - he said softly. "It really was unwise of me to scare you like that." 

Emma touched the scorched sheets with her pinkie, which made them break into little pieces as though they were made of paper. She watched them fall onto the ground like crooked black snowflakes. 

"Feel what?"

Killian didn't answer. 

"Killian?" 

But she didn't need his response, after all. 

Despite her memories of that night being fuzzy, Emma remembered Killian's visit to David's house very clearly.Watching him use his power on Whale was... it was earth-shatteringly mesmerizing. While her senses may have been dulled by the smoke, she remembered the sensation very clearly. It was like watching, or feeling, some sort of energy invade a person's airspace and penetrating their senses in a way she's never seen before. 

At first, when she touched Elsa's bed, she felt nothing. After Killian spoke to her, however, she realised what he meant. Despite being charred by the elements, the bed felt cold to the touch. Not like the cool of a metal railing or a glass, but like it was standing outside on a cold winter's day for several hours, and like it brought the remains of that day - the chilly wind, the frosty bite in the air - with it. It made no sense in Emma's head. 

"What is it?" - she whispered to nobody in particular. Killian smiled.

"What do you think?" 

Emma gasped in understanding. She wasn't hallucinating, after all. 

"Guys?" 

"Yeah?" - David answered behind her. 

"David, how much do you remember from the night of the fire?"

He shrugged. "I told you - I was running through the hospital, and the next thing I know is I'm being administered CPR in an ambulance."

 _100% truth_.  _No matter_.

"I saw you in this room, David. I ran in to help and you were here, kneeling next to Mary Margaret's bed." 

He frowned. "I was?"

Emma nodded. "And there was something else. Ice sculptures."

"Ice sculptures? What do you mean, Emma?" - Mary Margaret was genuinely confused. 

"There were these ice figurines and ornaments all around the room. It was like... like the flames were turned into ice!" 

Emma was aware that she sounded crazy, but she had to get it out. 

"When you saw me" - she told David - "you told me you got into the room and fainted and when you woke up, you saw that Elsa froze the fire. You told me that yourself, David. I know you don't remember, and I thought at the time that I inhaled too much crap, but I know what I saw!" 

However, the couple only gave her sceptical looks. 

"Emma, I know you believe that what you saw is true" - Mary Margaret spoke gently - "but..."

Emma nodded. "I know it sounds insane, guys, but it was real!" 

David sighed. "Emma..." 

It was clear to Emma that they wanted to believe her, but they couldn't. Somehow, the situation reminded her of her teenage years, many of which were spent trying to get the adults to believe her, but nobody ever did. She blinked and turned away, only to be met with Killian Jones' inquisitive gaze.

"Don't worry, lass. I believe you" - he said simply

"Y-you do?" - she stammered, looking for the signs that he was lying. He wasn't. 

"Aye" - he nodded. - "I've seen too many things in this town to not believe you."

"What sorts of things?"

Killian looked right at her. "Beautiful things" - he spoke softly. 

Emma didn't get a chance to ponder his words however - a gasp to her left startled her. She turned around. 

David was holding Mary Margaret to his chest. She appeared to have been crying. 

"What is it?" - Emma asked, running towards them, but David held out his hand. 

"She's remembering" - he whispered. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who wants to know what happens next? You know what to do ;)


	27. The Doctor Lies

_"This is what happens when you can't keep a secret to save your life, Miss Blanchard. Pun intended" - the dark woman laughed and flicked the lighter._

_"NO!" - Mary Margaret cried out, but it was too late. The room was already on fire, and she had no way to get out"._

 

"Remembering? Are you sure?" - Emma asked. David nodded, stroking Mary Margaret's hair as she buried her face deeper in his chest. 

"We should probably get out of here?" - Killian suggested. For once, Emma thought, he was talking sense. 

"David, we really should move her somewhere else. Did Whale ever tell you how her memories could return?"

"He just said they would in their own time" - David replied, wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders and leading her out of the blackened room. 

 

_Contrary to a book she read a few years ago, it wasn't a pleasure to burn. She was panicking as the fire advanced around her, flames and smoke blocking all the ways in and out of the house. Trying to cover her face as well as she could, she took out her phone which somehow still had a signal and dialed 911._

_"911, what's your emergency?" - a cool voice spoke._

_"I'm trapped in a burning building. Please hurry" - Mary Margaret coughed out and dropped the phone._

 

David and Emma sat Mary Margaret down on the steps gently, never taking eyes off her. Killian cleared his throat. 

"I hate to interrupt, but..."

"We have to go find Elsa" - Emma finished. "David, if we go look for her, are you gonna be alright here?" 

David nodded. "Go. Take my badge and my gun. I have to stay with Mary Margaret." He handed over the weapon and the badge to Emma, who nodded and ran up the stairs, Killian following closely behind. 

 

"So any ideas?" - Emma whispered as they reached the hospital's ground floor. Killian shrugged. 

"I don't suppose you can sense her gift with your own, love?" 

"Huh?" 

"Never mind" - he dismissed the strange thought. "I haven't a bloody clue to be honest. Does this facility even have a legitimate ward for coma patients?"

Emma shook her head. "As far as we know, the room underground is the only one."

"Hmmm..." - Killian said thoughtfully. - "Do you know where Whale's office is?"

"I do, and I already spotted him walking inside it when we got here, so searching it is out of the question right now. But..."

"What?"

Emma smirked. "Let's just ask him."

Killian frowned. "Ask him?"

"Yeah! I mean, between the two of us, you can persuade him that we just want to see Elsa because we're concerned citizens or something, and I'd know if he points us in the wrong direction" - Emma couldn't believe how quickly the plan formed in her head. 

Killian bit his lip. "What if he realises that I'm using my power on him? He already knows about it, and he'll smell something fishy." 

"Well, if you have a better idea, I'm all ears" - Emma snapped, knowing that he didn't. She fired a quick text to David, letting him know of the plan, and made her way to the door at the end of the corridor that had a "Dr. Victor Whale" sign on it. She knocked. 

Emma barely had a second to blink before a fist connected with Whale's pale face and he fell onto the floor, apparently unconscious.

"KILLIAN!" - she yelled at her companion, whose hand was already starting to swell. He looked mutinous.

"What's the hell?! Calm down!" - she grabbed him by his shoulders, trying to steady him. He gasped, flinching slightly. 

"Killian, you need to calm down! What the hell was that?" - Emma kept repeating. 

"I'm sorry!" - he finally cried out. "When he opened the door, it was like... he's a murderer, Emma! When I saw his face, I remembered what he did, how he twisted my words..." 

Emma sighed, rubbing his shoulder with her hand comfortingly. "I know. But don't you think he's gonna get a little bit suspicious when he wakes up and remembers that a guy whose brother he's about to bring back to life was the one who knocked him out?" 

Killian shrugged, giving her a sheepish smile. "Sorry?" 

She groaned. "Whatever. Let's just search his office." 

Killian grinned. "Where do we start?"

 

* * *

 

_About two hours later_

"I don't mean to be presumptious, Swan" - Killian panted, hauling Whale into a sitting position - "but we make quite the team."

Emma scoffed, pouring a drop of blue liquid into a glass of water. "I don't do teamwork." 

"What about your friends back in Belfast? Ruby and Belle, was it?" 

"Okay, I stand corrected. I don't do teamwork in the field" - she replied, approaching a still unconscious Whale with the drink in her hand. "Come on, wake him up" - she commanded. Killian gave Whale a light slap with the back of his hand. 

"Wake up, mate!" 

Whale groaned. "Wha..?" 

Emma hastily poured the drink down his mouth. "Drink up, Dr Whale. It'll help." 

Whale coughed and spluttered, but Emma met her target - judging by his unfocused expression, the potion found its way down his throat. 

"How much did you give him?" - Killian whispered. 

"According to his own notes, a drop is enough to wipe away a week's worth of memories. He'll still remember who you are, but not who I am. Thank God" - Emma replied just as quietly, wishing she herself could wipe the memories of drunken snogs with the man in front of her. He stirred. 

"Do you know who you are?" - Killian asked urgently. 

"I'm... I'm Doctor Victor Whale, of Storybrooke Memorial" - a raspy voice answered. 

"Do you know who I am?" - Killian spoke again. Whale blinked a few times before looking him up and down. 

"You're Killian Jones, also known as James Hook." 

"And do you know who this is?" - Killian gestured at Emma who was kneeling in front of Whale. 

"No. Should I?" - Whale shrugged. 

"No. She's my friend, and she knows about our little experiment." Whale's eyes widened, but he nodded, seemingly aware of what Killian was referring to. 

"We just have a few questions, and I suggest that you tell us the truth. If you don't" - Killian spoke harshly - "my friend will know." Emma nodded along to his words, wondering at the back of her mind about the exact moment they became "friends". 

"O-okay?" - Whale croaked. 

"What is your connection to Regina Mills?" - Emma asked the very question plaguing her for the last few days. 

Whale tried to play dumb. "Who?"

Killian raised his fist again, but Emma knocked it out of the way, narrowing her eyes at Whale. "If you don't start talking, I'll let him punch you. Understand?" - she hissed. He raised his hands in defeat. 

"Alright, alright! I know Mayor Mills. But I didn't do anything! I'm just trying to bring mine and his brothers back to life!" 

"Stop lying already!" - Emma groaned, frustrated. She was very close to punching him herself. 

"Fine, she's helping! But I don't know anything about whatever she may be up to, I swear!" - Whale pleaded. Emma frowned and caught Killian's eye, reading a silent question in his baby blues. She answered with a slight shake of her head. 

"How's she helping you?" - Killian was the one who asked this. 

"She procured something for me! Something I needed for my experiment to be a success!"

"Wouldn't happen to be a heart would it?" - venom was dripping from Killian's words as he spoke. Whale nodded.

"And where did she get it?" - Emma took over hastily, preventing Killian from attacking Whale again. 

"From a guy named Graham Humbert" - Whale replied. - "He used to be a Sheriff here." 

Emma smirked, playing with the recorder in her pocket. Gotcha. 

"Why did she pick him?" - Killian asked, gritting his teeth. 

"I don't bloody know! Can I go now?" - Whale pleaded.

"No!" - Emma and Killian spoke simultaneously and exchanged perplexed glances as they did. Whale whimpered, throwing a look at Killian's fist. 

"He doesn't know" - Emma told Killian out loud, and he nodded. 

"Can you help me check something quickly?" - he leaned towards her and whispered into her ear. She frowned but nodded. 

"Whale, how did you really find me?" - he asked. 

"I told you - I'm a fan of James Hook's work and I saw right through your writing!" - Whale exclaimed. Killian turned to face Emma, raising an eyebrow. She gave him a very small nod. 

"Ok, fine, let's say you actually need me for the experiment. How did you know about Liam? I never mentioned him in a single interview, I know that much. Did Regina Mills give you a tip-off or something?"

"N-no..."

"Then who did?" - Emma suddenly spoke, winking at Killian. Whale looked away. 

"Who?!" - Killian yelled. "I'll beat you to a bloody pulp, I swear to God..."  
"Gold! It was Gold, okay?! He got pissed off for that stunt you pulled with your book and hired me to kill you, alright!" 

Whatever Emma and Killian were expecting, it wasn't that. They looked at each other, stunned, each seeing a reflection of their astonishment in another's eyes. Emma took a deep breath. 

"Why didn't you?"

"Why didn't I what?"

"Kill him. I assume you were paid to?" 

Whale nodded fervently. "I was on the brink of completing my research. By then, I've already read your books and knew what you were. You were exactly what I needed, and I knew you had a dead brother from the info Gold gave me. So I used the poison on Gold instead."

"Is he dead?" - Killian asked quietly. Whale nodded. 

"He died before I came to London to find you. Killian, I swear, I was never going to harm you or your brother. All I wanted to do was bring my own brother back and I needed your help. I can bring them both back, I promise." 

Whale sighed. 

"Does this Gold have any relation to a person named Baelfire Gold?" - Emma asked after a minute of stunned silence. Whale shrugged.

"How should I know? I was interested in his money, not his family tree." 

Emma groaned. A dead end. Feeling Killian's reassuring hand on her shoulder, she took a deep breath. 

"Why did Regina order you to administer an amnesia serum on Mary Margaret Blanchard?" 

Whale looked up, stunned. "How do you..?"

Killian pointed at the notes on Whale's desk that him and Emma have been going through for the last hour. "Does it matter how we know?" 

"Regina wanted her to never remember something" - Whale whispered.

"And what is that?" 

But Whale didn't get a chance to answer. 

"You son of a bitch!" - David Nolan suddenly appeared in the office and Dr Victor Whale was knocked out for the second time that day. 

"David!" - both Emma and Mary Margaret, who was running behind the Sheriff, shrieked. 

"Easy, mate!" - Killian grabbed David, who was prepared to lunge again. - "I admire your impulse, believe me. But I already knocked him out once today, and he was giving us answers."

"Oh, well then I'm sorry!" - David grumbled, not sounding sorry at all. Emma sighed. 

"Did you remember?" - she asked Mary Margaret. 

"I remembered the fire" - she whispered. Emma frowned.

"The fire in the hospital? I thought you were unconscious..."

"Not that fire. The fire that Regina tried to use to kill me." 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who saw that coming? Who can tell me the source of the quote I referenced at the start? Who can predict what happens next? Leave your thoughts in your comments, dearies ;)


	28. The Price of Jailtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good news is that we finally get some answers in this chapter. The bad news is… well, you’ll see. I still don’t own OUAT, just the plot of Supersaviour.

 

Victor Whale groaned, feeling his face with his fingertips. His eyes snapped open when he realised that he had a bandage covering his nose. 

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not" - an accented voice startled him. He looked around only to find Killian Jones glaring at him from the other side of... were those bars?!

"Am I in jail?!" - he tried to yell but it came out in a hoarse whisper. 

"Bingo" - a sarcastic voice he recognised as that of Sheriff David Nolan spoke. 

"What for? If anything, you two should be in jail! For assault!" - he finally found his voice. 

"Oh do shut up Whale" - a blonde woman who was interrogating him earlier came into focus. Emma? Ella? He blinked at the way her and Nolan were standing, wearing almost identical scowls on their faces, with their hands in their jeans pockets. 

"If you haven't noticed" - the woman continued - "you aren't exactly in a position to bargain, so we'll do the talking. Now, I may not have the authority to actually lock you up, but Sheriff Nolan does. And while you were knocked out, I told him about all the shit that you pulled. Care for a refresher?" 

She was clearly pissed off now. Whale was too terrified to verbalise his response so he gave the tiniest of nods. 

"Let's see - you've been poisoning his wife and another woman for the last six years or so with some kind of stuff that left her without any memories of who she is - oh don't try to deny it, I read all your notes in your office, you also illegally exhumed two bodies and done God knows what necromancy to them, and not to mention, you are an accessory to the murder of Sheriff Graham Humbert. Need I carry on?" 

"It was a good thing Emma had a recorder on her when you started talking" - Nolan continued. "She's gotten everything on tape, which means there's no way any jury in the world is going to let you walk." 

"And I can assure you, mate" - Killian added - "a lovely lad like you would never make it in jail."

"Trust me" - Emma laughed darkly - "my boss will rip him to shreds before he even gets anywhere near a court room."

Whale was trembling from head to toe. Emma could've sworn she even heard a whimper. 

"So here's the deal" - she continued - "you tell us everything you know about Regina or whoever else is involved, and I'll think about not handing the tape over to my boss and Killian here will get you a decent lawyer. If you don't..."

"Fine, fine!" - Whale raised his palms in surrender. "What do you want?" 

 

_Three hours earlier_

_"_ Regina tried WHAT?!" - Emma couldn't tell who shouted first - her, Killian or David. Apparently, the latter wasn't previously debriefed on the exact memories resurfacing in his wife's head. 

Mary Margaret's face was unreadable. "I remember being in a room with her, and she set it on fire. She said something about me not being able to keep a secret?"  
"What secret?" - Emma asked

"I don't know! I remember being terrified when the flames went up the walls, I couldn't breathe... It's blurry but I think I was able to dial 911... I'm guessing I got out OK because the next thing I remember is Whale telling me that I was in a car accident..." 

Emma cursed. "I knew it! I knew there was no accident to speak of in the first place!"  
David sighed. "I'm such an idiot!" 

Emma has been sensing that he didn't altogether believe the car accident story ever since she met him, but she wasn't about to voice that. Instead, she gave him a small smile. 

"You're not an idiot, my love" - Mary Margaret spoke softly, making David's sad expression melt away. He pulled her close. 

"I just wish I could remember why Regina hated me so much" - Mary Margaret whispered. 

"No offence, but I think she still hates you" - Emma piped in. - "We all heard the recording, and I reckon it's safe to say that whatever information you couldn't keep must have been one hell of a secret." As she spoke, Emma couldn't help but wonder - what would have happened to her if she were brave enough to reveal Regina's secrets all those years ago? Would she have been the one almost dying in a burning building and losing her memories? Would she have even made it out at all? 

"So we know Regina is evil, big surprise" - Killian drawled out, bringing Emma out of her thoughts. "The bigger question is - what are we going to do about him?" - he pointed at Whale's unconscious form. Emma leaned forward and felt his face gently. 

"His nose is broken" - she announced. David handed her a first aid kit. As she worked with bangades, the rest of the group exchanged ideas. 

"We could just leave him here and give him more memory serum" - Killian suggested. 

"I don't know about you, but I'm gonna need a lot more from him" - Mary Margaret sounded angry and David was nodding behind her. 

"Let's take him to the Sheriff's station. It would give me great pleasure to see his murderous mug behind bars" - he growled. 

"Good idea" - Emma nodded and stood up. "Let's carry him down to my car. I'll text my friends on the way, see if they can find anything about any fires around six years ago."

 

_Present time_

"Why does Regina hate me?" - Mary Margaret asked eagerly. 

"I don't freaking know!" - Whale yelled out. - "All I know is that you were brought into Storybrooke Memorial six years ago and she told me to keep you in a coma and make sure that you had no memories of your life." 

Mary Margaret and Emma exchanged a glance and nodded at each other. Whale wasn't lying, but it didn't mean he was telling the whole truth either. 

"Why would you do that? What does she have on you?" - Emma asked, mentally running through the possible reasons. Money? He was a doctor so unlikely. Revenge? Perhaps. Love? She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from snorting - Whale definitely did not love Regina. 

"I am a scientist, and some of my practices are a little... unorthodox, shall we say?"  
Killian and Emma snorted. "I'll bloody say" - the writer growled. But Whale shook his head. 

"Bringing dead people back to life is only a part of my work. I was working on something else back then."  
"Care to elaborate?" - Emma asked. 

"I was conducting a study of extraordinary abilities."

A chill went through Emma. Killian's eyes widened and he paled. "Like... mine? Is that why you found me?" 

"It was a part of it. But Killian, I wasn't lying before - I do want to help!" - Whale cried out. 

"Like I'll take anything from you now" - Killian lunged at him, trying to reach him through the bars, but David held him back. 

"Calm down!" - both women shouted. "Carry on, Whale" - Emma demanded.

"I was trying to find a connection between genetics and abilities like Killian's." 

"And did you?" - Emma asked before she could stop herself. Whale nodded. 

"It's definitive - these abilities are more often than not passed down from a parent to a child. Not normally the case with siblings" - he added, pointing at an ashen-faced Killian. 

Emma shivered and shook her head, trying not to think about the potential implications of Whale's statement. "How does Regina fit into it? Did she blackmail you? We know she's threatened to expose you before."

"No. She... she helped. In exchange, I administered the serum to you" - he pointed at Mary Margaret - "and Miss Anderson." 

Emma's eyebrows almost hit her hairline. This was the last thing she expected. 

"How did she help?"

"She provided a test subject." 

"A WHAT?!" - Killian and Emma cried out at once, catching each other's eye and looking away. 

"Initially, she told me to kill him, but I asked her to allow me to use him as a test subject."  
"Who? Who is your test subject?" - Emma urged him, even though she already knew the answer. 

"His name's Baelfire something? He's got an ability to slip past people without being noticed. It's like he is..."  
"Imperceptible" - Emma finished the sentence in a whisper and felt her palms hit the floor. 

 

KILLIAN

"Swan!" - Killian cried out and rushed towards her, arms wrapping around her waist before her face met the grey carpet of the Sheriff's station. 

"Breathe, sweetheart" - he whispered into her ear, feeling her shudder. He raised his eyebrows and shook his head at the couple on the background, indicating that it was best they didn't interfere. They nodded. 

"Emma, it's OK. We'll get to the bottom of this, just stay calm" - he kept whispering until Emma's breath evened and she stopped shivering. She swallowed and nodded. 

"Thanks, Killian" - she whispered softly so only he could hear. He smiled, helping her up. 

"What's going on?!" - Whale startled them both. Killian glared at him. He didn't look over, but he was convinced that next to him, Emma was wearing a similar expression. 

"You're gonna have to tell us more about this test subject business, mate" - Killian spoke through his teeth, knowing that it was best he took over until Emma felt better. 

"I told you - Regina handed him over after I convinced her that he was more useful alive than dead. I owed her for that, so she collected the favour after your accident" - he nodded at the brunette at the back of the room."

"And why did Regina want him dead?" - Emma asked softly. 

"How the hell should I know? I stay out of her business, she stays out of mine!" 

"Except when you are in need a heart of a human being" - Killian hissed under his breath. 

"Hey, you should be grateful for that! If it weren't for her, I would've had to use your brothers..." 

He didn't get to finish his sentence. A gun was pointing at his face through the bars. Killian's hands weren't the ones holding it, though. The latter man was astonished to see Emma Swan standing and holding a Glock. 

"I'm seconds away from putting a bullet in your fucking brain, asshole" - she hissed and chills went down Killian's back from the ice in her voice. "So you'd better lose your smart mouth and start talking. Am I clear?" 

"Fine, fine, fine! Just put the damn thing down, woman!" - Killian was ready to deck Whale again after that comment. His heart was beating so fast he was afraid it would jump out of his chest, without any potential assistance from evil politicians. He knew that he should've been planning his next question, but all he could think about was Emma Swan coming to his defence. 

"Is he lying?" - David asked. 

"No" - Mary Margaret replied. "But I want to know about my accident. What was it? Was it a fire?"

"Yes. Well, as far as I know - when the ambulance brought you, you've had second and third-degree burns and were seconds away from dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. I had to put you in a coma, otherwise you wouldn't have survived, Miss Blanchard."

"Why did you tell me it was a car accident? Did Regina tell you to?" - David spoke, trying to stay calm. Whale nodded. 

"What I don't understand is how does the other girl - Elsa - fit into all of this" - Killian voiced his thoughts. 

"Regina told me to keep her in a coma around the same time, but she never told me why and I didn't ask" - Whale replied. "Can you please put the gun down?" - he pleaded. Emma hesitated but placed the Glock back in her pocket. 

"What's Elsa's superpower?" - she asked. Killian let out a sigh of relief, pleased that she was back in the game. 

"She was never officially a test subject. But from what I could gather, she can... freeze and unfreeze things? I haven't got a clue, alright?!" 

Emma nodded. Apparently, it fitted from what she'd seen at the hospital. 

Killian's head was spinning. A few years ago, he didn't even know there were others like him. Now he was stuck in a tiny town where at least three other people were like him. And two of them were in the room. Suddenly, an idea struck him. 

"And what's Regina's superpower?" - he asked before he could stop himself. Emma looked at him, surprised, seemingly not having come to the same conclusion. Whale opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a hissing noise. 

"Whale?" - Killian approached the bars. The doctor whimpered and grabbed at his throat. 

"Whale!" - David shouted and hastily unlocked the door, Emma following him inside. Whale's hands were around his neck and his eyes were rolling. 

"Call 911!" - Killian yelled to Mary Margaret, who was already dialling. David tried to pry Whale's hands off, but no avail. 

"David, stop" - Emma spoke suddenly. "He's gone." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hands up who saw these twists coming :) Like it? Hate it? Tell me! Even if it’s just one or two words – they motivate me like nothing else.


	29. Stay Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah… so I’m not the biggest fan of the way this chapter turned out, but I’m really tired so apologies for the shortness. On another note, how adorable is Duckling!Emma (Abby Ross)?!
> 
> I still don’t own anything you may recognise.

 

"What do you mean the cause of death is a heart attack?!" - Emma whisper-yelled into her phone. 

"I mean, the coroner ruled it to be a heart attack" - she could hear David's frustration mirroring hers on the other end of the line. 

"But how? We saw him gasping for air and clawing at his throat! You gave your statement right?"

"Of course! But the results are clear - Whale's heart gave out. He was apparently a little too friendly with the bottle."

"That I can believe" - Emma muttered. "

"Yeah. Anyway, I can still launch an investigation but the mayor will get suspicious since it would be way over the budget."  
"And not to mention the fact that she's the one who did it" - Emma whispered dryly. 

"Emma..."

"Don't "Emma" me, David! Whale died when he started telling us something about her. You can't tell me that's a coincidence."  
"She wasn't even there at the time!" 

"Which is why I think Killian was right about her having a superpower."

She could feel David rolling his eyes. "So the writer is a cop now?"

"David, he is not without faults, but he's not wrong about this. I can feel it."

"Yeah, Mary Margaret said the same thing..." - he sighed. "Fine. Let's say you're right. We still can't exactly barge into her house and put her under arrest - we have no evidence whatsoever!"

"If you hadn't told me and Killian to leave the station before the police showed up, we could've been witnesses and it would've been enough for a warrant!" - Emma knew that David was right in asking them to disappear and go back to their hotels, but she was still annoyed. 

"You know I had to do it! Otherwise, they would've started asking questions about why a fantasy novelist and a detective from New York were present during an interrogation, and you can imagine where that would've lead, I'm sure!" 

Emma groaned, running her hand through her hair. "I know. But we can still use what Whale told us, right? About Regina's crimes?" 

David sighed. "It would be enough for a warrant, yes. But are we sure we want to bring her in? I'm not saying I don't want to, but I reckon we need more."

Emma bit her lip, not pleased. 

"Look" - David spoke softly - "I want her behind bars as much as you do, but we can't point guns and cuff her only to let her out after 48 hours. It will just piss her off even more, and I'm not prepared to take that chance."

Emma understood. What Regina did to Mary Margaret must have, to say the least, unsettled the Sheriff. 

"Okay. I'll keep digging. Thanks, David." 

"Talk to you later." - David hung up. 

* * *

 

"Thanks" - Emma said, gratefullly accepting a cup of tea from Belle, and swung her legs back on the bed. 

"What did the Sheriff say?" - Ruby inquired, playing with her phone. Emma shrugged. 

"Just that we can't prove that Regina murdered Whale because he apparently died of a heart attack. Basically, we keep looking for skeletons in Regina's closet. And given what we learnt a few hours ago, that might just be literal." 

Belle shivered, she minded death and blood a lot more than Ruby did. 

The three girls were finally reunited in their hotel room a few hours after Dr Victor Whale's life was terminated. As soon as David realised that Whale was dead, he ordered Emma and Killian out. She understood why, but it didn't mean that she was happy with the decision. She dropped Killian off at his hotel, reluctantly promising to keep him updated. His only response was a soft kiss on the cheek and a "See you soon, Swan". 

"Did you find anything since I last checked in?" - Emma asked, hoping to avoid dealing with Regina's supervillianness for a little while longer. 

"Yeah" - Belle nodded. "Sidney got back to us. He said that he couldn't find a single word about whoever was in power before Regina - no records or anything, just that it was an old man who died - but he did find a story about a fire."

"The fire that almost killed Mary Margaret?" - Emma asked anxiously. 

"I guess so. It was in an abandoned old building, the newspapers and the police ruled it an accident because the wiring was ancient or something."

"Or maybe everyone was too afraid of Regina to tell the real story" - Emma muttered. "Unfortunately, the only people alive that know the truth, besides me and Killian are the Sheriff and his wife, and I have a hard time believing that any court would give any weight to the words of an amnesiac. And Regina knows that, I'm sure."

"So we can't do it the usual way then?" - Ruby asked. "She's certainly rich enough." 

Emma wasn't above taking dirty money from criminals and she certainly had no problem giving most of it to Mary Margaret and David, but if she were honest with herself, she knew from the moment she laid eyes on Regina Mills in Storybrooke Memorial, that it was going to take a lot more than blackmail and intimidation based on circumstantial evidence to bring her down. She sighed. 

"We keep digging, guys. Ruby, did you get anything from her computer?" 

"Not much" - Ruby admitted. "The only strange thing is that she isn't on Facebook or Twitter or any other social networks. Even Storybrooke City's Twitter account hasn't been updated in ages."  
"Yeah well, this whole town is behind the times" - Emma replied, remembering the lack of computers in the library and the outdated computers at the Sheriff's station. The only exception she'd seen was The Crypt. 

"Her credit card statements aren't particularly weird either" - Ruby continued. "She does spend a lot on Jimmy Choo's but who doesn't."

"Yeah I figured - she's too smart to put all her suspicious purchases on a card in her name. Check Whale's when you have the chance please?

"Sure thing" - Ruby promised and Emma nodded. 

"Oh by the way" - Belle piped in - "Sidney mentioned something really weird. I didn't think much of it until I told you about the fire. Emma, that fire was the first time in a few years something noteworthy has happened in Storybrooke, and apparently nothing else has happened since then! And by "a few" I mean twenty eight. Don't you think it's a little weird?" 

Emma frowned, trying to process this new information. The fact that Storybrooke has been a sleepy town for the exact number of years she had on her wasn't surprising by itself - she's been to enough small towns as a foster kid to understand that some of them were practically dying of boredom. However, all the connections - her age, Mary Margaret's power identical to hers, her old tormentor living and thriving here, and not to mention her ex-boyfriend being a guinea pig for Regina's deceased lackey - Emma didn't waste any time believing that they were all mere random coincidences. She wasn't a fool. 

What she was, however, is someone who had no desire to touch her troubled past anymore than she had to. So, when Belle asked her if she should keep digging into Neal's life, Emma said no. 

"Let's just take down Regina and get the hell out of here" - she uttered, desperately hoping to find more stuff on the Mayor that pertained to the non-superpower side of her. Whatever her power was, and Whale's death was proof enough that she had one and was willing to kill for it, Emma was convinced that Regina didn't fully rely on it to commit crimes. She chuckled softly to herself - if this were a story, Belle would say that Regina was her comic book-style nemesis she had to defeat. 

Wait. Stories. 

"Guys?" - Emma asked, breaking the silence that was previously only interrupted by the clicking of Ruby's laptop keys. 

"Yeah?" 

"Did you ever finish Killian Jones' books I gave you?" 

"Oh yeah! They were awesome!" - Ruby replied and Belle nodded eagerly. "I don't think there are any hidden clues in them though. Just some really swoon-worthy characters and epic battles at sea." 

"Why do you ask?" - Belle furrowed her eyebrows. "Do you still suspect him?"

"No, we cleared the air" - Emma recounted their conversation in Killian's hotel room, leaving out the part where they ended up falling asleep together. She wasn't ready to deal with whatever was between them yet. Or ever. 

"Wow... no wonder he broke Whale's nose" - Ruby whistled approvingly. 

"Actually, I think that was David" - Emma shrugged. "Killian just knocked him out the first time." She also didn't mention the part about her pointing a gun at Whale for baiting Killian. Being protective of people outside her immediate circle of friends and innocent victims wasn't really Emma's area. Did that mean that Killian was a friend or a victim? Both? Neither? 

 

KILLIAN

The pillow still bore faint marks from his teeth even two hours later. He was usually very grateful for the thick walls at hotels he stayed at during book tours, but this time, it was for a very different reason. 

He'd seen people die before, of course. The problem was that "people" was one person only. His name was Liam Jones and he was poisoned. When Victor Whale started choking, Liam's last moments flashed before Killian's eyes. His brother's skin turned the same shade of blue as Whale's during his last moments. Like David had, Killian tried to pull Liam's hands away from his throat, but it was too late. Emma Swan echoing his father's words "He's gone" was the last straw. 

He was able to hold himself together for the next few minutes when David ushered them out of the station and Emma drove him back to the hotel. He didn't want to leave her, but she couldn't be around him. He was dangerous.

Subconsciously, very deep down, he knew that he wasn't to blame for Whale's demise. Regina Mills was. But in his mind, Whale's and Liam's faces meshed together and he could barely feel anything but guilt and despair. 

A scream, muffled only by the pillow that still held a faint trace of Emma Swan's conditioner, rang through the hotel room. He didn't know how long he was crying for, but it felt like hours.Last time he had an episode induced by overwhelming guilt was last night. He had Emma Swan to comfort him then, but right now she was about 25 miles away in Belfast at her hotel and had a million of other things to deal with.

Mentally thanking David for asking them to lay low for a while, Killian sighed, wiped his face with a corner of the blanket and reached for the bottle opener on his nightstand.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, why do I put my favourite character through so much angst…
> 
> Love it? Hate it? Let me know!


	30. The Cold's Bothering Me Today

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe we made it to chapter 30! Thank you all so so so so much for reading, following and reviewing, couldn’t have done it without you guys! Supersaviour is still going on however, this is by no means the last chapter. Just to clarify – Regina didn’t kill Liam, his death was just similar to Victor’s because I like to write angsty Killian. Unfortunately I don’t own any of them :/

 

EMMA

Normally, when an investigation was drawing to a close, Emma, Ruby and Belle either busted the criminal and walked away with the money, or, if the case was particularly complex, holed up in Emma's apartment or a hotel room and brainstormed and researched for several days straight. This was one of those times. 

It's been three days since Whale's death, and Emma was getting restless. The three girls have been staring at their laptop screens for the last six or seven hours, and Emma's eyes were itching. She longed for New York doughnuts which were unfortunately not provided by the hotel's room service. That hasn't been a problem for the last two days, however - Granny's doughnuts were just as good, and it didn't hurt that they were kindly delivered by a tall, dark and handsome writer every morning. 

Yes, even Emma had to admit - having Killian Jones for an ally (friend?) had its perks. In addition to being a source of cinnamon-dusted doughnuts, he was smart and his ideas about the investigation have proven to be quite useful. 

Today, however, the gang was sans the sugary treats, because winter has finally arrived to Maine. When the girls woke up that morning, they were astonished to find at least half a foot of snow outside the hotel, and it didn't seem like it was stopping anytime soon. Emma flinched. She hated snow, mostly because of all the cold winter nights she spent as a child with foster families who didn't care enough to share their blankets. Her mood didn't improve when her phone chimed and she read the text message:

**_KJ:_ ** _Good morning, love. I'm afraid I might be a little late getting to you today. I'm at the train station and the train keeps getting delayed. I thought Maine was better at handling this kind of weather than England. My sincerest apologies, I will be there as soon as I can xx - K._

**_ES:_ ** _Ugh. I hate snow. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _So do I. Especially right now xx - K._

**_KJ:_ ** _How's Operation Supervillain going? xx - K_

Emma chuckled. After Ruby revealed Regina's credit card activity, she suggested a code name for their case, in the event of Regina ever getting suspicious of "Rebecca Sutter" and using her own sources to eavesdrop on them. Belle came up with the name (Ruby was going to suggest "Operation Jimmy Choos" but was immediately shot down by Emma). Only the three of them, Killian and David knew it. 

**_ES:_ ** _Slow. Frankenstein didn't even buy comic books for his research. Belle and I really want to know how he learnt so much about you-know-whats without the actual source material. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _We could try and see for ourselves? I'm sure Dave can help us get into his lair again xx - K_

**_ES:_ ** _I'm not going anywhere in this weather. No way. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _You cold, love? xx - K_

Emma rolled her eyes. She was buried under three layers of blankets but Killian wasn't to know that.

**_ES:_ ** _I'm fine. Just not a fan of snow. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _Aye, that I can understand. I fail, however, not to see the beauty in it xx - K._

**_ES:_ ** _You're a writer. Aren't you supposed to see the beauty in everything? - E_

**_KJ:_** _Even if I weren't, I'd still see the beauty in you xx - K._  

**_ES:_ ** _I wouldn't call my powers "beautiful", they're just a way for me to survive and bring a small consolation to those unfortunate souls that have been wronged by monsters like the Supervillain. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _Your powers, although extraordinary, are by no means the only amazing thing about you xx - E_

**_ES:_ ** _If you weren't a writer who could convince any average Joe that they were climbing trees with medieval pirates, I'd almost believe you. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _See my earlier remark. I don't have to be a writer to like you xx - K._

Emma raised her eyebrows at this. What was he on about?

 ** _ES:_** _What are you on about? I handcuffed you and interrogated you in your own hotel room, how can you possibly even tolerate me after that?_   _\- E_

**_KJ:_ ** _You had a good reason to doubt me, love. And I daresay, I deserved it xx - K._

Emma sighed. She did feel slightly guilty about suspecting Killian Jones of foul play and being in cahoots with Regina, but she still wasn't sure about the whole being a part of Whale's scheme thing. Would she have done the same if the opportunity presented itself? 

Sure, she had people she was close to, once upon a time - her adoptive parents, Neal, even August. Ruby and Belle. But would she have been able to do what Killian agreed to do? 

Her power was different to his. 

But her power also operated as a tool for helping people, no matter how much she claimed to use it for herself. August has intended to train her for that purpose, but she had her own agenda at the time - finding Neal. Eventually, that agenda grew into revenge, and Emma began to lash out on the lowlives like him. 

If she still had a therapist, Emma suspected they would say that it was a way to deal with the anger part of grief. Anger at Neal, anger at the system, anger at everyone who has wronged her. Anger at herself for being an easy target. 

Killian Jones was, in his own way, helping himself by trying to get Liam back, as well as helping Whale to bring Gerhardt back to life by using his gift. Was Killian angry too? Or did Whale catch him in the middle of his bargaining and throw him a lifeline? Was it unfair of Emma to make him walk the plank with her judgment? 

The answer came easy to her. Yes, it was. 

**_ES:_ ** _No, you didn't. I understand why you went along with Frankenstein. It wasn't my place to judge, I'm sorry. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _Don't apologise, lass. I treasure every moment I get to spend with you xx - K_

There he was, again. It was almost like... he was into her? She rolled her eyes. She was being ridiculous and needed to get back to work.

**_ES:_ ** _Anyway, are you still at Storybrooke? Doesn't look like all this snow is going away anytime soon.. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _Aye, still at the station. You know, I may detest the cold the snow brings, but when there's no wind, it's quite a resplendent sight xx - K_

**_ES:_ ** _Eh, for me it's just the cold and the frostbite it brings. And it's depriving me of food. - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _If I didn't know I wasn't going to make it to Belfast until tomorrow morning, I'd happily walk xx - K_

Emma's eyes widened. She texted back hastily:

**_ES:_ ** _No, don't be stupid! We'll be OK for one day! - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _If you're certain. I'll just wait here until the train comes. See you soon hopefully! Xx – K_

 

Emma was not ready to deal with the possible implications of that conversation. She filed it under "Things to potentially consider after Regina Mills is in jail" underneath folders named "Mary Margaret's power", "Elsa's power" and "What's Neal's deal?" For now, dealing with her nemesis was a priority. Other Storybrooke mysteries could wait. 

 

The problem was that Emma Swan was stuck. The last time she's dealt with superpowers was ten years ago, and that case was not going to be solved. She wished Whale kept his research on a Cloud, like the rest of the world, that Ruby could hack into, but no - he had to have a paper filing system! Emma and Killian went through some of the files while the doctor was knocked out, and they learnt about the amnesia serum and that Whale's been giving it to Mary Margaret. That information was enough to throw Whale in jail, but unfortunately, the only thing implicating Regina were the words of a dead man. The conversations Ruby recorded were circumstantial at best and were barely enough to get a search warrant for Regina's home and office. David explained to Emma that he wasn't going to try and get it because Regina would be likely to get suspicious. And so Emma was done with operating legitimately and was back to being a renegade. When she explained to David that she was going to act on her terms, he groaned and said that the less he knew, the better. Emma couldn't agree more. 

 

She groaned and ran her hand through her hair, looking outside. It's been two hours since Killian's last message and with a sigh, EMma sent him a text to go home. He replied almost immediately.

**_KJ:_ ** _I'm really, really sorry about this, love. I'll try and be there tomorrow, I promise xx - K_

Emma grinned in spite of herself. She only hoped that the snow would stop falling by tomorrow because she could really use some fresh ideas.

Wait. 

Snow. 

Emma knew by now that what she witnessed the day of the fire wasn't a hallucination. That Elsa woman literally created snowflakes out of thin air and froze the flames. They still haven't found her, but what if Regina hid her somewhere because she needed her for something? 

Emma had no idea where the thought had come from, but it was a straw she was willing to grasp on. If Elsa was indeed in Regina's "care", could the horrible weather be the result of Regina manipulating Elsa's powers to stop Emma, David and the rest of the team from investigating Whale's death? The coroner may have ruled it an accident, but Regina was smart. Freezing the town has certainly proven to be effective...

As though he was reading her thoughts, Killian texted her again.

**_KJ:_ ** _Swan, I reckon this miserable weather isn't natural! Xx - K_

**_ES:_ ** _I think you're right. I think Supervillian is somehow manipulating E into doing her bidding! - E_

**_KJ:_ ** _My thoughts exactly. Is this what she does, do you reckon? Manipulation? Xx - K_

**_ES:_ ** _I don't know. Maybe? - E_

Manipulation. That would certainly be up Regina's street. But what kind of manipulation?

"Belle?" - Emma called. The blue-eyed brunette appeared in the doorway. 

"What's up? Did you find something?" - she asked.

"I think so. Could you look into manipulation as a superpower please?" 

Belle nodded, plugging in her laptop. "Will see what I can do." Emma thanked her and began to sort out the possibilities in her head. 

 

"Okay" - Belle proclaimed an hour later. "Manipulation is a bit vague, but I did find some stuff. Basically, one of the possibilities is energy manipulation." Upon seeing Emma's blank look, she chuckled softly. 

"It's practically an ability to control basic elements. Water, earth, fire and air..."

Emma held up her hand to stop her. "Don't think that's it, sorry. Regina may have started fires, but I don't see her doing that with her powers. I was thinking more along the lines of... is there such a thing as manipulation of subconscious?"

Belle frowned. "You mean dreams?"

"No. Like, mind control?" 

"I reckon she's had Whale for that sort of thing. I mean you did find the serum that induces memory loss in his office, didn't you?"

Emma sighed. "Yeah... Okay, I'm out of ideas. What other things can an evil politician control to gain power and riches?" 

Belle shrugged, looking at her watch. "I'm gonna get coffee downstairs, you want some?"  
"Yeah, thanks" - Emma nodded. She needed that coffee badly. 

 

 

KILLIAN

He was frustrated. He hated the fact that he was unable to help Emma today. They've been taking steps in the dark, neither of them having had much experience with supervillians. A part of him did consider himself to be one, though. However, Emma's text made that part slightly smaller. 

He groaned, almost having tripped on something hidden underneath the thick blanket of snow for the third time since leaving the train station. 

The answer was close, Killian could almost taste it on the tip of his tongue, and it didn't taste anything like snowflakes. He just needed a final  missing piece of the puzzle to get the whole sinister picture of the Supervillian. And he had a strange feeling that he's glimpsed it before. Was it yesterday, when him and Emma were browsing through the few files and calendars Ruby did manage to get off Regina's computer? 

There was nothing suspicious in those files, however. Just normal politician's stuff, which Emma knew well apparently, from her previous cases. In fact, the only thing weird about those files was that they were a little too perfect... 

Killian suddenly halted outside Granny's, his jaw almost dropping from the realisation. He took out his phone with shaking hands. 

 ** _KJ:_**   _Lass, I got it! I know what she manipulates. I need to see you ASAP._ _We are not safe. Xx – K_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who’s figured out Regina’s power? Leave a review and tell me your thoughts!


	31. Time's of the Essence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I’ve been MIA for the past few days after leaving you with such a cliffy! I just had the worst week, the kind of week where a good day is the day without a single panic attack, so I haven’t been in a very writing mood. But I’m here now and hopefully this chapter clears things up a little :) I still don’t own anything you may recognise.

 

EMMA

Waiting was the worst part of being a vigilante. Emma would happily take a fistfight or an interrogation over the crippling anxiety she experienced every time she had to spend any time waiting for things that were beyond her control to resolve themselves. Stakeouts, she was fine with - hiding in the bushes or crouching in her car might be uncomfortable but at least it gave her a sense of purpose. Simply sitting around and waiting for the weather to be on their side, however, was Emma's idea of torture. 

It's been about 8-9 hours since Killian's ominous text. Unfortunately, neither of them had any way of getting to each other until the skies were clear. The darkness outside Emma's room may have been frequently spotted with snowflakes, but the only thing that was interrupting the gloom that was eating Emma's insides were the occasional unwelcome sparks of agitation. What could Regina be capable of that would scare Killian so much? Why did he believe that they were in an imminent danger? And how was she going to deal with whatever it was? 

She believed, wrongly, that her roommates were hating her right now because of her incessant pacing around the room. Yes, Emma Swan was definitely not a patient person. And she suspected Killian Jones wasn't exactly having the time of his life either, having determined that from the last text she received from him, about four hours after his cryptic summoning. She told him to try and be patient while the weather improves, and could almost hear his sarcasm through his response:

**_KJ:_ ** _I have all the time in the world! Not like we have the Supervillain to worry about or anything - K_

Yep, not even the two kisses at the end Emma was grown accustomed to. She guessed that it was a European thing. 

She had no idea, however, just how ironic Killian's message was. 

 

Emma didn't manage to start her drive to Storybrooke until 7 am the next morning. Killian told her that the train tracks were apparently "frozen" so he couldn't get to Belfast anytime soon. The drive that would normally take her about 15 minutes lasted almost one hour - snow might have stopped falling but Emma wasn't about to take the risk of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, Maine, and drove as slowly as she could. Killian asked her to meet him at the town line, because he was apparently too paranoid to talk in his hotel room or the Sheriff's station. Emma sighed when she saw his dark silhouette standing next to the green "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign. He waved when he saw her yellow bug approaching and pointed at the woods. 

"Apparently we can't even talk in my car" - Emma muttered to herself, even though deep down she admired his circumspection. Regina Mills may not realise that "Rebecca Sutter" was one of her old pupils, but Emma wasn't about to take the chance that the Mayor didn't do the exact same thing she herself had. Indeed, Emma chastised herself silently for not thinking of bugging Regina's car. 

She parked the bug across the sign and stepped out to follow Killian under the trees. Muttering curses for not thinking of bringing her sturdy snow boots after soaking her regular suede ones through, she walked up to him and was startled when he threw his arms around her. 

"You OK?" - he whispered. 

"Um.. yeah, I'm fine" - she stammered, hugging him back after a few seconds. "You?" 

He nodded, releasing her slowly. "You alright walking in these?" - he pointed at her feet. "I have no qualms about carrying you" - he raised his eyebrows. Emma snorted, before realising that there was no trace of laughter in his voice. 

"And where is it we're going exactly?" 

He shrugged. "Just a few more yards into the forest should do it. Do you trust me when I say that it would be safer than talking inside any establishments?" 

Emma nodded, surprising even herself. She supposed the events they have endured together did make them friends, after all. For the first time in a few days, she saw a genuine smile on his face. Like herself, he'd spent the past few days doing nothing but trying to get something on Regina, which left very little time to be cheerful. She followed him deeper into the woods until finally, when they reached a river with a bridge across, he held out his hand. 

"I don't think she can find us under there, do you?" - he pointed at the bridge. Emma groaned, not liking this plan, but nodded. 

"Alright, start talking, Killian" - she whispered as soon as they were under. "What does Regina have? What can she do?"

He began. 

"It hit me when I thought about you and me going through her files that your friend managed to download. They were literally perfect - no misplaced scanned document, no wrongly dated invoice or memo, not even a correction."

Emma shrugged. "So? She's had a good assistant."

"Swan, no assistant is that meticulous. We didn't find a single clerical error on these scans. Not one. And Ruby checked the history - they haven't been altered since the dates they were created. I worked in mail rooms as a lad, and no office rat is that good. There are always flaws."

Emma knew what he meant. These kinds of flaws, slip-ups, careless stamps have been her smoking guns on several occasions. The only time she failed to locate a crack in the data was the Zelant case, and she didn't like to remember how she solved it. 

"Okay, it is a little weird, but what are you saying? That she's super-organised and amazingly good at time management? That may be a valuable skill to HR people but I would hardly call it a superpower!" 

Killian narrowed his eyes. "Except in her case, time management  _is_  a superpower." 

It took Emma two seconds before she scoffed. "Oh come on! Time travel? That's your theory?"

"Not time travel. She literally manages time. By slowing it down if not stopping, to be precise." 

 

KILLIAN

He watched Emma's eyes widen and her jaw almost dropping. Her face mirrored his own during the moment of his yesterday's epiphany - he managed to catch a glimpse of his reflection in a shop window so he had a pretty good idea. He watched the emotions flicker through her eyes - astonishment followed by confusion followed by disbelief. He wished there was something he could say to make this easier. This was an occasion where his power would actually be useful, for once - however, he had no intention of ever using it on the woman in front of him. 

"Come again?" - she said slowly after what seemed like minutes but was actually two or three seconds. 

"She can stop time, freeze time, manipulate time, however you want to name it. It's the only thing that makes sense!" 

"In what possible universe does that make any sense?" - Emma was shouting now. Killian made a shushing noise and shrugged. 

"I don't know - the one where you, the Sheriff's wife and myself can do things nobody else can?" 

"Yeah but come on! Wouldn't people know she was slowing down time?" 

"Not if she had Whale's forgetfulness potion to help her with that. He knew, obviously. That's why.."

"..He had to die..." - Emma whispered. Killian nodded. 

"Precisely. Look, I know this is hard to accept, but you have to! We need to stop her before she does anything else, like traps us in some sort of a time-loop or something.."

Emma's next words felt like a dull knife making a hole through his stomach. 

"If you're trying to use your power on me for some ungodly reason, it's pretty damn low, Killian, even for..."

"Even for me?" - he snapped. He couldn't believe she still didn't trust him.

"That's not what I meant!" 

"Come on, Swan! After all we've been through, you're still doubting me?"

"Wouldn't you? This has got to be the craziest thing I've ever come across!" 

He scoffed. "Says the woman who has a lie detector in her brain. Or heart, or wherever." 

Emma's shoulders slumped, and Killian instantly felt bad for snapping. "I'm sorry, love. That was bad form. But do you really believe I would lie about something like this?" 

She shrugged. "I read your books. If there is one thing you're good at, it's making people believe in the impossible." 

He beamed, feeling a small spark of pride within himself. "You read them? Did you enjoy them?"

She rolled her eyes, apparently exasperated. "That's not the point, Killian!"

"I know! But if you think I'm lying to you, go ahead. Let's hear your theories!" 

Her eyebrows furrowed and she bit her lip, looking down on the muddy ground. 

"All my theories fell through" - she finally admitted grudgingly. 

"That's because time manipulation is the only one that makes sense, Swan! Think about it - since you've last seen her, all those years ago, has she aged even a little bit?" 

Emma's eyes widened again. "No... Well, her hair's shorter but she looks exactly thr same otherwise... Oh God.."

"And literally nothing's happened in this Sleepybrooke for 22 years, until that fire which nearly killed Mary Margaret. After that, another six years of nothing. Doesn't that strike you as odd?" 

Emma frowned. "And you got all this from a bunch of files?" 

"Emma, the dates on them may be different, but they were all uploaded in bulks consistently every few months!" 

"What?" - she paled. 

"I didn't think much of it at the time, but then I realised that the flaw was that there were no flaws. She actually built a perfect paperwork system, and I pretty much figured the rest out after you mentioned the possibility of a manipulation power. It makes perfect sense, Emma, you know it does." 

Killian would remember the next few moments for the rest of his life, for it were the few seconds in which Emma Swan has fallen apart for the first time in years. Her lower lip began to tremble as she let out a whimper and a tear ran down her pale cheek. He hesitantly pressed his finger to it, making a stroking motion across Emma's cheekbone, but his skin instantly became wet with more salty moisture. As he looked up, for one second Killian could see a reflection of Emma's jade green eyes in a tear that was about to fall. He instantly pulled her close. 

"I'm so sorry" - he whispered, holding her tightly, her soft half contrasting with the stubble on his cheek. The only response he received was another soft whimper and a shudder through Emma's body. He realised then that she was sobbing, and he has never hated himself more. 

"It's all going to be alright, sweetheart" - Killian whispered again, and he couldn't remember the last time he's told an actual, human lie, without using his powers. He suspected, however, that Emma didn't need her gift to tell that he was lying. He just didn't know what else to say. Because really, there was nothing, and both of them knew it. Killian could feel Emma's tears soaking through his sweater but it didn't matter. Emma has been holding herself together on her own for too long, and it appeared that they discovered her trigger. 

"I h-hate her!" - she sobbed. 

"I know. I know" - Killian spoke softly, pressing a light kiss to her temple. It was like he was looking inside of her, seeing those walls she's built around her soul over the years crumbling, stone by stone as the tears kept pouring. Most of these stones were raven-coloured, like Regina's hair, although he did spot a few light brown ones. 

Fucking Regina. 

Fucking Neal. 

He wanted to hurt them. He was longing to create a world of darkness inside their heads and send them into it down the rabbit hole. If it weren't for Emma Swan breaking down in his arms, he would have been halfway to Regina's house right now. Instead, he stroked Emma's hair in a vain attempt to calm her down. As the walls fell down before his eyes, Killian realised, however, that it was going to take a lot more than a hug and a pat on the head to make Emma Swan okay again. 

"Emma, love, keep breathing" - he was whispering into her ear as she seemingly overworked her tear glands and began to shake. Thinking that she was having a panic attack, he tried to untangle himself from her, but her fingers grabbed onto his sweater as though it were a lifeline. 

"Okay, lass" - he nodded, pulling her back into him, making sure she was nestled comfortably. Her shaking has calmed down somewhat, but her face was still buried in his shoulder, muffling her sobs. 

"We'll get her, sweetheart. She'll pay for everything she's done. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy but I'm gonna be there. You won't have to act alone, I can promise you that much" - he had no idea what he was doing, if he were honest with himself, but he knew that action was Emma's comfort zone. After a few minutes of holding her, he heard a whisper.

"Killian?" 

"Yes, love?" 

"I'm sorry..."

He frowned. "Don't be. I understand." Slowly, she lifted her head off his shoulder to see him smiling uncertainly. 

"Okay there, lass?" She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. 

"No. But you're right. I will be once Regina Mills is behind bars in a maximum security prison."

He bit his tongue to stop himself making an Azkaban joke and nodded. 

"You sure you're up to this? Nobody would blame you if you want to take the day off from being Supersaviour, love". She bit her lip and nodded after a moment of hesitation. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's do this." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone guess as to what Regina’s power was before I revealed it? Yes? No? Love it? Hate it? Please let me know!


	32. Seasons May Change But...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! Who’s ready for the finale? If Killian doesn’t get his heart back, I’m going to be a mess (well I’m going to be a mess either way to be fair).
> 
> I still don’t own OUAT.

 

 

EMMA

"We should pick up Dave on the way" - Killian remarked as Emma started her car.

"Come on, it's 9 am on a Sunday morning! I'm sure we can manage without depriving the Sheriff of his sleep."

"Aye, but remember - we're not dealing with a simple citizen here. We're off to confront an evil mayor who can trap us in a time loop if she even suspects something's wrong. Let's give some legitimacy to our visit, darling" - Killian whispered. 

"I'm well aware of where we are going, thank you very much" - Emma snapped but agreed, avoiding his gaze. What just transpired between them was not something she was willing to think about and embarrassing herself even further was not high on her to-do list for today. Thankfully, Killian didn't say another word until a bleary-eyed David Nolan greeted them at his doorstep, his blond curls stuck at odd angles. 

"Emma? Killian? What's going on?" - as soon as he saw them however, he sprang into the Sheriff mode. 

"We know what Regina's superpower is!" - they spoke at the same time. David's eyes widened. 

"Come on in" - he shut the door and ushered them into the kitchen where Mary Margaret, clad in a pink dressing-gown and slippers, was brewing coffee. 

"Good morning!" - unlike her husband, she was wide awake. "What a lovely surprise - can I get anybody some coffee?" 

"No thank you" - Emma declined, indicating just how on edge she was - she never turned down coffee. "We have a message for you both. And it's big."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Okay, please sit down. What is it?" 

"It's about Regina's power" - Emma began. "We.." - Killian cleared his throat and she rolled her eyes - "well, Killian figured out what it is. And it's the only thing that makes sense." 

"She can manipulate time. Specifically, she can slow it down or even freeze it completely" - Killian continued. David's face of utter disbelief completely mirrored the expression Emma was wearing an hour ago. Mary Margaret, however, looked thoughtful. 

"How do you figure?" - she asked. Killian explained his theory, his hand on Emma's shoulder the whole time. She didn't voice it out loud, but she appreciated the support nonetheless. Mary Margaret nodded slowly after he was done, apparently in agreement. David, however, looked outraged. 

"So if what you're saying is true, does that mean that we're not actually 34 and we don't even know it?" 

"Yes. I guess so. I'm still trying to work out the mechanics, mate." 

"But how can she do that? I mean, we still get different seasons every year, so it's not like every day is the same?"   
"Maybe it's more like every year is the same?" - Emma suggested. "I mean, she looks exactly the same as she did last time I saw her, except she's gotten a 300 dollar haircut and owns even more property." 

"I suppose stealing and defrauding is easier when you can mess up the dates any way you want and people won't even notice" - Killian spoke angrily. 

"But if that's her power, how did she manage to give Whale a heart attack or whatever it was?" - David voiced his doubts. "I mean, we all saw him die and she wasn't anywhere near him?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know - an untraceable poison that activates as soon as he tries to speak out? Whale may have even brewed it himself for all we know." 

"So nothing happened in this town as long as anyone could remember until Regina tried to burn me alive and then nothing else happened for another six years after that?" - Mary Margaret spoke slowly. "What if the secret I found out was that Regina was using her power on this town and she couldn't let that get out?" 

David pulled her close. "We'll figure it out, Mary Margaret. Together." 

Emma smiled softly, looking at the couple in front of her. There was something in the air when one was in the same room as them - they were so genuinely in love with each other. Emma rarely encountered that in her career as a renegade Saviour. 

"I really hate to be the one to say this" - she spoke - "but I think it's time we all confront her."

David frowned. "Aren't you worried that she'll send us back to the Dark Ages or something?" 

"That's not quite what she does..." - Killian piped in but Emma interrupted. "Three people in this room have superpowers. Between ourselves, I think we can take her." 

The answer to the problem David mentioned came to her at that moment. It was so simple yet extraordinary. "Killian, do you think you could, like... compel her not to use her power on us?" 

He nodded. "I can certainly try."  
"That's settled then" - Emma stood up. "Let's go." 

 

They decided to go straight to Regina's house- as dedicated as she was, there was no way she was going to be in her office on a Sunday morning. David wordlessly handed Emma a pair of handcuffs, an unspoken understanding between them. She took a deep breath and knocked on Regina's door. Not even a minute later, they heard the clicking of the mayor's Jimmy Choos and saw their owner standing in the doorway.

"What is the meaning of this?" - she spoke, narrowing her eyes. Emma didn't waste another second on words and kicked her in the shins, throwing her off balance. 

"Ow! What the..." - but she didn't get a chance to finish. Emma pulled her hands behind her back and pushed the bows on the cuffs below Regina's wrists. 

"Killian, now!" - she shouted and sensed the already familiar energy flow through the mayor's hallway. The brunette frowned and shook her head, as though trying to shake off a dream, but it was obvious Emma's idea worked. She grabbed Regina's shoulder and pulled her into the sitting room. 

"Stop manhandling me at once, you savage!" - Regina yelled as Emma pushed her into an armchair, taking a seat across her from the sofa. 

"Sorry, madame Mayor. Can't have you disappearing on us" - a nasty grin spread across Emma's face. She felt amazing. Revenge really was sweet. 

"Disappearing.. What the hell are you on about? Sheriff, why are you allowing someone outside your jurisdiction to treat me this way?" - Regina spat at David, but was only met with his glare. 

"I authorised this, Mayor Mills. Miss Sw... Sutter is acting upon my request" - he lied. 

"What are you talking about?" - she narrowed her eyes again. "Mr Jones, why are all of you in my house?" - she screeched. Emma snorted. Apparently, the Supervillain thought Killian was the only sane one. 

"We have some questions" - he growled and Regina flinched, taken aback by the harshness in his tone. 

"What questions?! You people are delusional if you think I'm going to tell you anything! How dare you treat me this way? I am the Mayor of this town and I swear to God, I will ruin you if you don't uncuff me this instant!" 

But Emma felt no fear. "Yes, you're the mayor now" - she said, smirking. Quite a career change from a Boston high school principal, wouldn't you say?" 

Regina drew a sharp breath, her dark eyes widening. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Emma could practically feel Mary Margaret doing her own eyeroll behind her. "That was such a pathetic try at lying, Madame Mayor" - Emma sneered, hatred and desire to humiliate the woman in front of her boiling in her stomach. 

"Save your breath, Regina. We all know your scheming, thieving ways" - Mary Margaret's chillingly soft voice was a surprise for Emma. "We are not here to talk about that. Well, we are, but it's not the main reason." 

"What. Do. You. Want?" - Regina growled. Mary Margaret stepped forward. 

"I want to know why you tried to murder me twice."

Emma gasped as a startling realisation about the cause hospital fire sank in. 

Regina's smirk, however, told her that Mary Margaret's question was the very thing she expected. 

"Miss Blanchard, you just came out of a coma. I don't blame you for being confused, but you really shouldn't throw accusations like that at people who wish you nothing but well." 

Emma held her arm out to stop David lunging at the mayor. "Oh, but we've got proof. Dr Whale told us that there was no car accident - you set the fire that nearly killed Mary Margaret, Regina, and you ordered Whale to cover it up. And before you try to lie your way out of this one, I should warn you - there are two people in this room who can..."

"Rebecca!" - Killian cut across her suddenly. She turned towards him, only to see him furrowing his eyebrows and shaking his head. Understanding his warning, she nodded and continued. "Two people who have heard the conversations between you and Whale where you were so kind to implicate both yourself and him." 

Regina's smirk didn't fade. "Quite a storyteller aren't you, Miss Sutter, if that's really your name. May I suggest that you leave fiction to Mr Jones here and get the hell out of my house?" 

"Or what? You'll call the police? Sorry to break it to you, but David is the police." Emma normally never baited the suspects, but she felt strange, vindictive pleasure from being the one in a position of power. 

"And as I recall, you murdered your other Sheriff, so there aren't many people left you can call, madame Mayor" - Killian added. 

Regina hissed. "I did not murder Graham. He was a friend who is dearly missed by everyone in this town, including myself!" 

"You're lying. He may be missed, but you most certainly did murder him." - Mary Margaret replied, echoing Emma's own thoughts. "I trust that you are familiar with a particular... ability of mine?"

"Yes" - Regina hissed, giving Mary Margaret a look full of loathing. The other woman nodded. 

"Good. That means, you understand that we... that I can tell when you're fibbing to us. I may have lost most of my memories, but my gift is as strong as it ever was." 

"So do us a favour and stop wasting our time on pointless lies and actually answer our questions, because we are not going anywhere until you do" - Emma finished, feeling a tiny bit nervous for the first time since stepping inside the house. She hastily swallowed that burst of anxiety and threw Regina a look of contempt. 

"I don't suppose I have a choice, do I?" - the hatred in her voice matched the feeling in Emma's heart. 

"No. And before you try to trap us in a time loop, you should know that we made sure that won't happen" - Killian replied. Regina's eyes widened again, indicating that Killian's theory has been correct. 

"Fine!" - she spat. "I tried to get rid of you because you were about to blab to the world about my power and how I used it to get where I am, happy?" 

Emma frowned. 

"Not quite" - Mary Margaret spoke. "You are omitting something. What is it?" 

Regina rolled her eyes. "You told Graham about it. I had to get rid of him before I ended up in jail." 

"Yet you and Whale managed to preserve his heart for almost six years" - Killian muttered. Regina heard him. 

"Well well well. You must be a client of Whale's, Mr Jones. He mentioned you before - not by name, of course."

Killian gritted his teeth. "I am not his client. I stopped associating with him the moment I realised he was working with a murderer." 

Regina shrugged in response. "I never asked questions about that slimeball's experiments."

"Did you kill him too? Because he was about to tell us your secret?" - Emma asked. Regina laughed. 

"Why ask if you already know the answer, Miss Swan?" 

Emma gasped. This time, she couldn't conceal the horror she felt when Regina uttered her name. The woman just smiled wider. 

"I knew I've seen you somewhere before when you showed up here the other day. I just couldn't figure out where. Until you mentioned me being a high school principal, and I remembered. Little Emma Swan. I must admit, you almost had me fooled. Life of crime must have taught you something." 

"Apparently, not as much as it taught you" - Emma hissed. Killian and David moved closer to her. Regina smiled even wider. 

"And yet, you still haven't learnt to respect your elders. You're not very different from that pathetic little girl who stood trembling like a leaf in my office, trying to scare me. You may have a shiny toy now" - she lifted her cuffed hands - "but you're still a child who just doesn't know when to shut up! Very well, I got rid of you once, I am certainly more than able to do so again."

"Well, you're welcome to try!" - Emma shrieked and lunged forward, but David grabbed her before she could punch Regina in the face.

"Emma, stop!" - he yelled. She tried to shake his arm off. 

"David, get off!" - she cried. Regina's bone-chilling laugh made her stop fighting. 

"Now now, dearie, is that anyway to speak to your own father?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, you didn’t think I’d make Emma anyone else’s kid, did you? Reviews make my day, my week, my year!


	33. The Past is in the Past... Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So - Sunday finale. I enjoyed it but it wasn't my favourite mid-season finale. I liked the return of my favourite Belle and I definitely loved the introduction of the Queens of Darkness. The CS kiss was AMAZINGLY HOT but as a shipper, I did want more. As a show fan, however, I can understand why they did it the way they did.
> 
> I still don't own OUAT. And just to clarify - the flashback in this chapter takes place after Emma got out of jail but before she met August.

EMMA

_Nine years ago._

Emma Swan was an eighteen-year-old ex-con with virtually zero prospects of an honest life. The only thing she had to her name was a Swan-shaped keychain, a yellow bug and a weird-ass superpower that got her into this mess in the first place. And a letter from a stranger who called himself August W. Booth (seriously, who uses middle initials anymore?) telling her to meet him in some diner in Maine. Well, fat chance. She's gotten herself into this mess and she didn't need anybody's help to get out. 

All she wanted was to see her parents again. The day she's walked out on them was the worst day of her life (the day she ended up in jail was a close second), and only half of it was her expulsion. The fight with her adoptive parents made her believe that they didn't want her, so she ran. Now, two years or so later, she realised that neither her, nor her Mum and Dad meant any hurtful words they might have said to each other. Those seven years of having a real family were happy. Sure, they may not have understood her power, and Emma eventually stopped bringing it up (until that dreadful day), but at least she wasn't thrown down flights of stairs for being a "freak". She knew that her parents loved her and she was willing to do whatever it takes to earn their forgiveness. 

Hitchhiking from Phoenix to Boston took Emma about three days - it wasn't like she could afford a plane ticket. She was exhausted and starving. One of the drivers kindly shared a sandwich with her, but that was yesterday. Today, however, was the day Emma Swan would reunite with her parents and regain hope again. 

She knocked on the familiar grey door of their apartment and raised her eyebrows when an unfamiliar face appeared through the crack. 

"Can I help you?" - an elderly woman asked warily. 

"Yeah... Are D-duke and Ingrid around?" - Emma stuttered. The woman's features softened and she opened the door. 

"I'm so sorry dear, but Duke and Ingrid have been dead for almost a year. Are you family?" 

Emma has never wished she were normal like she had at that moment.

The kind old lady gave her some food and let her sleep on the couch for the next few days after realising who Emma was. The teenager barely noticed, however. Nothing made sense anymore. The world was numb, and so was she. 

It was strange to think about, but the only thing that was remotely clear was August's note. That was how she ended up on a Greyhound to Portland, Maine, a few days later. 

 

 

_Present day_

All hell broke loose at once after a moment of stunned silence that followed Regina's announcement.

"I think I'd know if I had a child six years younger than me!" - David exclaimed.

"I don't have a family, thanks to you!" - Emma yelled out after slapping Regina. The sound resonated through the room, but the cuffed brunette only laughed. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" - Killian shouted, furious.

"WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP FOR A SECOND?!" - Mary Margaret's yell was the loudest and the most startling. Even David cowered in fear slightly. 

"Thank you!" - his wife spoke, slightly calmer. "Regina, explain yourself. What are you talking about?"

Regina sneered. "Don't you have some sort of a trigger thing in your head that can tell you that?" 

 _OH GOD_ ,  _so much for dealing with that when Regina's out of the way_ , Emma thought. 

"It's not working properly, as it would seem" - Mary Margaret said, with a tone of uncertainty in her voice. 

"No... It is" - Emma's whisper was barely audible.

It's been hanging over her head for days now. True to herself, she didn't feel like dwelling on any possible implications of Mary Margaret's gift, so similar to her own. Right now, however, that wasn't an option. But neither were the ways Emma Swan dealt with things. And anyway, guns and whiskey were resorted to ex-boyfriends. Not... 

No. She wasn't going there. Her parents were dead. 

Regina snorted suddenly. "I wish!". Emma looked up, startled. She didn't realise she said that out loud. 

"Unfortunately" - Regina continued - "Little Miss Blanchard managed to escape the fire. Twice. I would've been impressed, but..." - she trailed off, shrugging mockingly. 

Fire. Secrets. Murder. Betrayal. Neal. 

 _Good, Emma. Focus on something else_. 

"Where's Neal Cassidy?" - Emma hissed. Regina snorted. 

"Who?" 

"Baelfire Gold? The guy you tried to kill but then handed over to Whale?" 

Regina rolled her eyes. "How the hell should I know? Maybe you should ask Whale... Oh wait" - a cold, triumphant smile Emma hated so much appeared on Regina's face. Unfortunately, this time she was telling the truth. 

"How did you kill Whale?" - David piped in, snapping Emma out of the mess of thoughts that was growing inside her head. 

"Poison. His own invention, mind you. Sorry about your brother, though" - Regina addressed Killian. - "You must be devastated." 

Killian didn't need any lie detectors to tell that the brunette was sprouting complete bullshit. "Shut the fuck up" - he hissed through his teeth. Regina ignored him. 

"How can I possibly be Emma's father?" - David, unfortunately, seemed to be out of sensible conversation topics. "I don't have any children, and if I did, I would never abandon them!" - he proclaimed furiously. Emma's heart warmed at his words for a second, but the walls of the room didn't slow down. They've been closing in on her since Regina's startling proclamation and seemed to come closer every time somebody brought it up. 

"And neither would I!" - Mary Margaret finished David's words. - "I may not have my memory back, but I do know one thing - I would never forget my child." 

"Yet you did" - Regina's smile widened. Emma shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, turning away from Regina, only to see Killian mouthing "are you OK?" to her. She shook her head. Not now. 

"Regina" - Mary Margaret whispered. "What have you done to us?" 

Emma turned to face Regina again, only to see the smile gone. "You brought this upon yourselves. And I'm not saying another word until you people take these things off of me!" - she held up her cuffed wrists. 

"Emma, don't!" - Killian cried out, but the key was already in the lock. Regina flicked her hands as the cuffs disappeared into Emma's pocket. Thankfully, Emma could still feel the energy radiating from Killian that prevented the Supervillain from sending them into the Middle Ages or whatever it is she was capable of. 

"Now, start talking" - Emma demanded. Regina smiled again. 

"I don't think so, Miss Swan". She suddenly reached into a purse that was on the hanger behind her and pulled something out of it. 

Emma and Killian gasped. It was a glowing heart, and Regina's hand was about to crush it. 

"What are you doing?!" - David yelled out in horror. 

"Freeze the room" - Regina spoke into the heart and dashed out, everyone too stunned to stop her. 

"What the...?" - but Killian didn't get to finish his sentence. A young blonde woman appeared in the doorway and raised her hand.

"Elsa?!" - Emma's jaw dropped. Last time she saw this person, she was lying on a hospital bed, completely comatose. It appeared Killian's theory about Regina kidnapping her was right, after all. There was something off, however. The woman's eyes were open, but they didn't appear to be seeing anything. Suddenly, Emma slipped and fell onto the couch. She let out a shriek as she looked down on the floor, which has been completely transformed into ice. And judging by the screams and "Oh my God's" of her companions, the walls were looking the same way. 

"Elsa, stop!" - Emma called out, but it was too late. The ice was the only trace of the woman left in the room. 

 


	34. White Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry for the wait, I haven’t been feeling too well for the past few days and was too tired to write :/ This one isn’t my best, but I hope you like it! I still don’t own OUAT.

"Seriously, what is it with people ripping out hearts in this town?!" - Killian yelled in exasperation. His yell was almost enough to drown out a stream of curses coming out of Emma's mouth after she bruised her foot trying to kick down the frozen door. Eventually, she gave up and frantically started dialling Ruby's and Belle's numbers.

"Fuck, I can't get any signal in here! " - she threw her phone onto the armchair and fell onto the sofa, cushion masking her screams of terror and frustration.

"Me neither!" - she heard David exclaim and groaned again. 

If anybody walked in right now - well, they wouldn't be able to say anything before Emma tackled them to the ground to hold the door open. But in the two nanoseconds it would take her to get to them, they'd see what was possibly the strangest scene to ever come before their eyes. A room with the walls of sparkling ice, a ceiling with icicles hanging from the chandelier, and a floor with patches of ice that were growing at an alarming rate. Amidst all of that wintery chaos, there were four people. A blond man with a police badge and a gun, contemplating whether to shoot through the window, which was also sparkling white. A pixie-haired brunette looking around in despair. A young blonde woman screaming into a pillow on the couch in the middle of the room. And lastly, a dark-haired handsome man they'd probably seen before in bookstores throwing his hands up in frustration and finally taking a seat next to the blonde. 

"Are you okay, love?" - they'd hear the man ask her before their face connects with an ice patch on the floor and a blur of people dashes past them. 

Unfortunately, nobody was coming. And it appeared that no-one in the room had any signal either. The room had no computer or phone, and they soon realised that there was no way to break the windows. When David tried to shoot through the glass, the bullet ricoucheted off it and flew into the opposite wall, nearly ripping off Mary Margaret's ear on the way. Enveloping her in his arms, he swore to never shoot a gun again when she was in the room. 

 

Emma's cried finally subsided after about half an hour, when the ice was covering most of the floor and everyone sat down in order not to slip. It was getting colder and colder by the minute. David and Mary Margaret were huddled together on a loveseat, shivering. Emma pulled her face away from the soaked cushion and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm up.

"Are you okay?" - Killian asked for the second time. She snorted.

"Well let's see - I came to this godawful town to investigate a medical negligence case and the suspect turns out to have been working for the very person who's made my entire life a living hell, and guess what - that person also has a superpower and is actually a murderer and I'm about to become her next victim, and on top of that, I'm stuck here with a guy who tells lies for a living and my parents who are only 6 years older than me and don't even remember me because guess what - THAT VERY SAME MURDERER MADE THEM FORGET! So no, Killian Jones - I am not okay!" 

Killian actually cowered in fear. But Emma wasn't done. 

"And let's not forget my deadbeat asshole of an ex who I am hoping is dead, but when did believing in hope ever help me? Huh, Killian?"

He didn't reply. 

"Hope may be a thing in your books but guess what - real life doesn't fucking work that way!" 

Killian flinched. Emma felt bad for a second - she knew she was being harsh but it didn't matter then. 

"Yes I know" - he finally replied. "I've lived with that knowledge for almost 32 years."

"Are you sure about that? Maybe you're really 300 and Regina just made you believe you're 32!" - Emma was making very little sense now, but the cold was numbing her senses. Killian raised his eyebrows. but didn't comment. 

"How could we ever forget we had a daughter?" - Mary Margaret whispered to David. He sighed. 

"It appears you aren't the only one who's been under the influence of Whale's memory serum" - he whispered back, pulling her close. "When we get out of here, we'll fix this. Together. I promise." Mary Margaret nodded. 

"Emma?" - she asked timidly. 

"Yeah?" - the girl on the couch replied softly, wiping away a stray tear. 

"I know that I... that we don't remember anything about you, and I am really sorry for that..."

Emma shrugged. "It's not really your fault is it?" 

"No. But we'd still like to get to know you, if that's alright with you." 

"And what better time for that than slowly freezing to death, right?" - she laughed bitterly but not unkindly. "What do you want to know?"

"Are you really a detective?" - David asked before he could stop himself. 

"Not exactly... I guess you could say I solve crimes and I put bad people away, but I don't... technically have the jurisdiction to do so?"

"So you're like a renegade cop?" - David asked again. 

"Sort of. I do have a casual day job, archiving the files at a precinct in Boston, but I mostly solve cases that the police sweeps under the rug because a powerful player is involved or there isn't enough evidence to convict the person. That's when..."  
"Your... our superpower comes in" - Mary Margaret finished. Emma grinned, pulling her coat tigher around herself. Killian frowned, noticing her movements and shrugged off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. She protested. 

"Don't be stupid, Killian! You'll freeze to death!"

He sighed. "Hold onto me then. Like they are doing. Trust me, love - body heat is a very good idea in this situation."

Was the cold messing with her head or did Killian's idea actually make sense? 

"Fine" - she snapped, handing him his jacket back. He smiled and unbuttoned her coat. 

"Come here" - he spoke softly, pulling her onto his lap and wrapping both their jackets around them. Emma rolled her eyes but snuggled closer. She had to admit - this wasn't so bad. 

"Better?" - Killian whispered into her ear, echoing her thoughts. 

"Yeah, yeah" - she grumbled. Then they heard David clear his throat. 

"I know you're not that much younger than me, technically, but still - father in the room!" - he called out. Emma's eyes widened and she sputtered. It would've been more embarrassing or funny if they weren't trapped inside the Supervillain's very lair. 

"Don't worry mate" - Killian reassured him seriously - "she's in good hands, I promise." 

David bit his lip. "Uh-oh". 

"I'm still here you people!" - Emma called out. "And weren't we playing twenty questions?" 

Mary Margaret smiled. "Where did you grow up?

"Boston" - Emma answered, referring to her time with her adoptive parents, not wishing to go into details about various foster homes ranging from bad to worse. Mary Margaret, however, didn't buy it. 

"Really?" - she asked sceptically. 

"Well - I spent most of my teenage years there, but before that, I lived all over the place. Mostly New England though". 

Mary Margaret's eyes widened. "You were in the system?" Emma nodded. Mary Margaret tried to stand up but David held her back. 

"She may not be ready for that yet" - he whispered into her ear, too low for Emma to hear. 

"And then? Did you get adopted?" - David continued. Emma nodded again. This was not the time to mention Neal, no matter what his connection to Storybrooke may be. 

"Were you happy?" - David's wife asked sadly. Emma shrugged. 

"I guess so. The couple that adopted me seemed to care - I mean, I had enough food, clothes and a roof over my head, and they were kind to me. So yeah - I suppose it wasn't so bad." 

Killian looked like he was about to say something, but closed his mouth. Emma didn't miss it, however.

"What is it?" - she asked, hoping to move on from the subject. 

"Nothing, sweetheart. It just doesn't sound like you were happy, that's all." 

"How do you mean? I was fine!" - Emma argued. 

"Aye. But did they ever resent you? For your gift, I mean?"

Two weeks ago, Emma would've told Killian to go screw himself for prying, but now all he got was a stony silence. He hung his head. 

"I apologise for being nosy" - he said. Emma bit her lip. 

"It wasn't too bad. I mean, they didn't bully me for it or anything."  _Not like everybody else_. 

Killian frowned. "That's not the same." 

She didn't even know why she was arguing about this with him, of all people. "It's not something that's easy to understand, Killian!"

"Yes I know. But you can't love someone you don't understand." 

Emma stared at him. So did David. 

"He's right" - Mary Margaret whispered after a few seconds. "I may not remember anything about my husband, but he understands and accepts me for who I am, and I know I've always been the same way."  
"You have" - David beamed, kissing her cheek. "You always understood me - and not just because you can tell if I'm lying to you. It's just the way we are." They laced their fingers together. Emma grinned, turning away from them. 

"Are you okay to talk more, Emma?" - David asked her gently. She nodded. 

"Yeah, I guess. It's really not that interesting, though - I was a foster kid who got adopted and didn't see what I had until it was taken away from me. Then I got... in trouble but someone helped me and taught me how to control my power and how to use it to catch criminals." 

Mary Margaret frowned. "Somebody taught you how to manage the power? David, did I ever have that?" 

"If you did, you never told me. Who helped you, Emma?" 

"Someone named August. He's... well, I don't really know, to be honest. I was just grateful for the chance to get my life together, I didn't really ask many questions. He's the one who put me on this particular case, actually. I was supposed to be investigating Whale, but..."

"Your investigation led you astray" - Killian finished dryly. She snorted. 

"Yup, pretty much." 

"Speaking of - are we ever going to get out of here? As much as I'm enjoying holding you close, love, I really wouldn't mind a hot cocoa. Or perhaps something that would warm me up even quicker" - Killian switched to business mode again. 

"Yes, but we still have no way of breaking out of the room!" - David threw his hands up in frustration.

"I don't suppose you could persuade the ice to melt?" - Emma asked Killian, only half-joking. He sighed. 

"I wish, love. But even if I could, I don't believe it's going to listen to me. And I don't think Elsa is around to help either." 

"So we're back to square one then!" - David groaned.  

However, that wasn't quite true. A loud knock on the door startled them all. It definitely wasn't Regina.

"We're trapped in here, can you let us out?!" - David yelled. 

The door rattled but didn't open. Regina has apparently frozen the locks, too. Killian untangled himself from Emma gently and slid towards it, nearly falling down in process. 

"Whoever you are, can you kick it down?!" - he called. The individual outside complied, but the door merely shook. Killian groaned. 

"Alright, I'll try!". No effect. It took about ten kicks, most of which came from the other side for cracks to begin appearing. On the twentieth knock, the door finally dislodged. Killian let out a whoop of joy and beckoned the rest of the group over. 

"Can you kick it as strong as you can from the outside? I think you're either stronger or the ice is thinner on the other side!" 

CRASH

The door came tumbling down, but Emma, Killian, David and Mary Margaret managed to slip through before it buried them alive.

"Oomph!" - the person who helped them was somehow the one who ended up buried underneath their bodies. Killian was the first to get up and help everybody else. 

"Whoever you are, I owe you my eternal gratitude" - he held out his hand and the stranger shook it slowly. Emma turned around to thank them too and gasped. 

"Neal?!" 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh…
> 
> Yes, he’s alive, for which I am truly sorry. It is necessary for the story, though, so bear with me and review! I hope you like my references to “White Out” – the episode which got me to write CS fanfiction in the first place!


	35. The Importance of Being Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated holidays everybody! Sorry I didn’t post during them, but this chapter is a wee bit too intense for the holiday spirit!
> 
> I still don’t own anything you may recognise.

 

"What? Neal as in..?" - Killian looked at Emma questioningly. She could only nod mutely.

"Hello, Emma" - the voice that's been haunting her dreams for the last decade spoke. "Are you guys alright? Why is that room.."

He didn't get to finish speaking, however. Nor did he ever see Emma's palm coming towards his face. 

SMACK. He gasped and recoiled. Emma raised her hand again, but Killian grabbed it inches from Neal's face. 

"Emma, easy now! You might knock him out!" 

"Nothing more than he deserves" - she hissed. Mary Margaret and David looked at each other, a look of compehension appearing on David's face. 

"That may be true, but we still need to know his connection to all this, and we can't interrogate him while he's unconscious. Besides, I hate to remind you, but he did just save us." 

"Well, I for one have no problem keeping him unconscious while we get to the station!" - David yelled out and before Neal could step back, David's fist connected with his cheekbone and he fell backwards. Nobody bothered to catch him. 

"David!" - Mary Margaret gasped, but he didn't look apologetic in the slightest. 

"I may not have known my daughter for long, but did you not see the look on her face? That man, whoever he is, has clearly done something horrible to her!"  
"Emma, is that true?" The blonde could only nod, still stunned. Killian rubbed her shoulder gently. 

"What a day, huh? Let's get out of here so you can properly deal with all of today's earth-shattering revelations, shall we?" - he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her towards the exit. David grumbled but grabbed Neal and dragged him outside, where nature was closely resembling the room they've just escaped. 

"How badly are we snowed in, Dave?" - Killian asked, helping him throw Neal's body into the truck. David shrugged, starting the car. 

"We should be fine. Get in, we'll take him to the station."

 

* * *

 

_About eleven years ago_

KILLIAN

Being a 22-year-old bestselling author of romantic thrillers was, no pun intended, thrilling. "A Coward's Wife" was flying off the shelves and has been a bestseller in Europe and the States for almost five months now. Journalists and bloggers described it as "heart-wrenchingly beautiful", "soul-destroying", "best romance debut since X, Y, Z" and the like. James Hook has become a household name in a record time. And it was going to stay that way for a very long time - even after Killian Jones' fantasy novels took off, Hook's books were still madly popular. 

He really was grateful for his fans who constantly sent him messages of praise and gratitude, examples being "Thank you for getting me through my horrendous break-up, James - can't wait for your new book", or "I related to Milah so much I realised that my now ex-husband is an abusive bastard and I am forever grateful to Milah and you for helping me find the strength to let go", or simply "You're an amazing writer, Mr Hook, please write more!". It did make the burden of his curse lighten, little by little, after each message. He would never be completely free of the guilt and depression that plagued him for almost eight years, but these messages were like tiny drops of a salve that dimmed the eye-shattering, heartbreaking truth about him and what he was. 

One particular fan encounter, however, was almost enough to kill him. 

The man's name was Robert Gold. He was an elderly business owner, who rarely had time for a good book. Killian never learnt why he's just  decided to buy a James Hook book out of the blue. He appeared at a book signing a couple of months after "A Coward's Wife" was released, up in Edinburgh. He shook the author's hand and asked for a signed copy and a picture, and James Hook happily obliged. 

"Tell me then, Mr Hook" - Gold spoke softly after he received his signed edition - "who is Milah?" 

"How do you mean, sir?" - Hook raised his eyebrows, smiling politely. 

"The woman about whom you wrote the book - who is she? She is the perfect specimen of her sex, I must say." 

"Well, I am very flattered, but I am afraid Milah is entirely fictional, although I cannot say I disagree with you" - Hook smiled again. After all, even people with great burdens were capable of feeling love. Even if the love felt by the 22-year-old writer was for a fictional individual. 

Gold's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you, dearie." 

The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped ten degrees. Hook's smile tightened. 

"Every character in this book is a figment of my own imagination, Mr Gold. None of them are based on real people. Now, I'm sorry but I have a flight to catch. It was great meeting you, and I hope that you enjoy the book." 

He wasn't going to make his flight, however. Gold showed up at his hotel room an hour later. He wasn't the type to take "no" for an answer, apparently - were any successful businessmen really? Hook's eyebrows almost hit his hairline when he opened the door. 

"Mr Gold? Did... did you leave something at the bookstore?" - he asked. He hoped that's what it was since he wasn't in the mood for an encounter with a lunatic fan. 

"Yes. I need an answer to my question, James" - he drawled. "Where can I meet Milah?" 

Hook sighed. "I told you, Mr Gold - Milah isn't real. And you are way out of line. Please don't make me call security." 

A nasty smile appeared on Gold's face. "No need for that, dearie. After all, I do own this hotel and I can come and go wherever I want." 

Shit. Gold's Hotels and Resorts. How did Hook miss the connection?! He froze and Gold pushed his way inside, taking a seat on the leather couch. Now Hook was worried. 

"Mr Gold, I can only tell you the same thing I told you back at the bookstore - Milah is fictional! Everything that's happened to her is fictional!" 

"LIAR!" - Gold bellowed suddenly, making Hook jump. For a second, he had a flashback to one of his particularly violent foster parents. He blanched as Gold kept yelling. "Milah is real and I love her! Bring her to me or I will kill you!" 

Now he was afraid. He was still too new at being famous to worry about crazy stalkers, but he's heard plenty of stories. The red-blooded male in him was sort of fascinated with the idea of a young female fan fancying him like crazy, but after this encounter, he would forever be wary of them. 

He raised his hands, palms upward. "Mr Gold, please calm down! You are not well, let me call for someone!" 

But the businessman only laughed maniacally. "Bring Milah to me, Hook! I love her and she will eventually love me too!" 

Shit. The man was psychotic. 

But how could he be psychotic and still run several profitable businesses?

The implications hit Hook like a ton of bricks. He fell onto an armchair, hands over his face. This was his fault. He made this man go mad, with his writing. 

He was dangerous. He had to get out of there, right now. 

 

_Present day_

"Guys, I think he's waking up" - Mary Margaret whispered, half an hour after they arrived to the station and threw Neal into a cell. David scowled. 

"Can I get my gun so it's the first thing he sees when he wakes?" - he asked, which was received by three "No's!", although Killian's came a second later. David pouted but complied, adopting a strict expression instead. Emma rolled her eyes behind his back. They approached the cell when they heard a groan and a curse. Neal must have realised he was cuffed. 

"Hey!" - he yelled out, lifting his hands. "I rescued you and you cuff me?" 

"That's right" - David snapped. "And now you're going to talk." 

"Emma, what's happening? Who are these people?" - Neal questioned. Emma felt Killian squeeze her hand slightly and nodded her thanks before speaking. 

"They are my parents. But you already knew that didn't you,  _Baelfire_?" - she spat out his name like it was a stray fishbone stuck in her teeth. Neal gaped at her. 

"How..?" 

"Not important, mate" - Killian hissed. - "We'll be the one asking questions now. And you're going to answer them honestly." 

Neal scoffed. "Or what? You'll set the "lie detector girl" on me?" - he made air quotes with his fingers when he spoke the words "lie detector girl". - "You thought you had a thing with lies" - he spoke to Emma. - "I never bought it." 

"Yeah. You did, Mr Disappearing Act" - Emma rebutted his mocking words easily. Killian bit his lip to hide a proud grin. - "And trust me - David's punch is going to seem like a pinch on the cheek if you tell a single lie, understand?" 

Neal's eyes widened. He clearly wasn't expecting his ex-girlfriend to stand up for herself like that. 

"Fine! What do you want to know?" - he scowled. 

"What are you doing here, in Storybrooke? The cops told me you ran away to Canada?" 

"I did, for a few years, but then I got hired by someone to do a job here." 

Emma rolled her eyes. "What, some guy paid you to rob a bank in Maine?" 

"No! He told me that he needed information to take down Regina Mills. What he failed to say was that she was a lot more than a mere corrupt politician" - his face darkened. 

"No arguments there" - Mary Margaret muttered. Emma paid no mind to her. 

"Did you get what he wanted?" 

"No. Before I got too close, she caught me and handed me over to Whale for some sort of an experiment? He was working on a study that determines whether there is a link between genetics and powers like mine." 

Killian nodded. "How long were you with him?" 

"No idea. He kept moving me around so much I lost track of time. Now that I think about it, that might have been Regina's fault!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious" - David hissed sarcastically. - "Did you escape when Whale died then or what?" 

Neal nodded. "Yeah. As soon as I did, I got word that you were in town" - he pointed towards Emma who raised her eyebrows. - "I made the connection then - you told me about a corrupt high school principal you had named Regina, so I figured you were down here trying to take her down." 

Emma snorted.  "So a guy who abandoned me ten years ago and set me up to take the fall for his crime decided to help me all of sudden? Forgive me if I'm a tiny bit sceptical" 

Neal groaned. "I didn't have a choice, Emma! The guy who hired me has been planning it for some time and he needed you too!"   
"What guy?" 

"August. August Booth? Do you know him?" 

Emma paled but swallowed the anger that was threatening to come up. "Vaguely" - she replied. 

"Well, he's the one you should be talking to, not me! I didn't really find anything out before I ended up as Whale's guinea pig, so..." 

"Well, then you're bloody useless aren't you?" - Killian spoke before he could stop himself. Emma didn't have enough in her to muster a glare in his direction. 

"Hey, watch it, you... Who are you again?" - Neal narrowed his eyes. - "You look familiar." 

"The name's Jones. Killian Jones. I'm a writer." 

Neal didn't take his eyes off Killian. "Did you use to call yourself James Hook by any chance?" 

Killian nodded. "Aye. Almost a decade ago, why?" 

Neal lunged forward suddenly, grabbing the cell bars. "You destroyed my family, asshole! You are the reason I don't have a father!" 

Killian paled. Everyone gaped at him. 

"I don't know what you're..." 

And suddenly, it clicked. The brown eyes. The dimples. The same look full of hatred James Hook received a decade ago. 

"You're... you're Robert Gold's son?!" 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha Neal x Charming’s fist is my guilty pleasure OTP! Seriously, what were the Charmings thinking, naming the baby after Bagelperson?
> 
> Thanks for reading, everybody, please review! If this story gets a 100 reviews, I’ll post a bonus chapter from one of Killian’s books at the end ;)


	36. I Knew You Were Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated since last year! The holidays involved a lot of stressful family time followed by my 23rd birthday. Well, I'm back now and I still don't own anything you may recognise.

Neal nodded. "Bingo, Hook. Grab a fucking pastry off the shelf."

"Who's Robert Gold? Killian, what are you two on about?" - Emma asked, her bottom lip trembling. Killian sighed. 

"Love, it's a long story and I promise I'll tell you as soon as I can, but right now's not the time" - he muttered, too low for anyone but Emma, who was standing right next to him, to hear. Neal chortled. 

"Well you two look cozy. You gonna try and fry her brain too,  _Hook_?" - he spat, putting as much venom into Killian's former alias as he could. Killian gritted his teeth. 

"Look, I can't stress how sorry I am about what happened to your father, and I have to live with that every day, so throw all the insults you want at me, but can you do that after you help Emma and her parents take Regina down?" - he pleaded. Emma swallowed a lump in her throat and turned away from him to mask how touched she was by his plea. 

"Fine. Emma, since you know August, I suggest you call him and he'll explain everything." 

"Alright..." - Emma muttered absentmindedly and went into the station's bathroom. Mary Margaret and David tried to follow, but Killian placed his hand on the Sheriff's shoulder. 

"She needs to do this herself, mate. Trust me." 

And David understood. He took Mary Margaret's hand. 

"Let's give them a minute as well" - he whispered to her and led her outside. Killian nodded his thanks, unlocked Neal's cell door and took a seat across him. 

"And why shouldn't I beat the shit out of you right now?" - Neal growled, making a move to stand up. 

"You should" - Killian said softly. Neal didn't move, however. 

"My father is in a nuthouse, thanks to you and your goddamn books!" - he yelled. Killian winced and sneaked a look at the bathroom door visible between the bars, hoping that the noise wasn't disturbing Emma. 

"Aye" - was the only thing Killian could say right then. Because no matter how many times he tried to convince himself over the years that Robert Gold was unwell way before he discovered "A Coward's Wife", Killian had a pretty good idea about the effect his curse could have on people. Even if the elderly man were mentally unstable, Killian's book have undoubtedly pushed him over the edge. If it weren't for his contract with Pan, he would have quit being James Hook when he was 22. However, he had to publish three more books under that name before he could back out. Every day for three years until he became Killian Jones, he woke up dreading that he's ruined yet another life. Writing fantasy brought a much needed relief from that anxiety, but it did very little to soothe his ever-present self-loathing. Seeing Robert Gold's eyes on the face in front of him was like looking at an enchanted mirror that revealed one's worst self. He had to stifle a laugh at the irony - in the third book in his fantasy series, the protagonist got trapped in an ice castle and forced to spend a day in front of such a mirror. The only thing that stopped Jewel from killing herself or freezing to death was...

Well, it didn't matter. Killian didn't have it and it was a myth anyway. 

"You know, I vowed to never return home after I left the day I turned eighteen" - Neal interrupted his musings. - "My dad was always strange, to tell you the truth. He was obsessed with the idea of buying and developing more and more property and turning it into hotels, restaurants and whatever else. I never wanted any part of it, and it was slowly destroying him, so I confronted him about it. He just waved me off and told me: "I'm doing this for you, Baelfire. One day this will all be yours". So I bailed, got myself a new name, tried to start over. A few years later, I heard that he got institutionalized because of some writer. Imagine my surprise when the writer turned out to be James Hook, everybody's favourite romance novelist" - Neal's distaste for the name was impossible to miss. 

Killian said nothing. It took all of his willpower not to look away in shame. 

"Not even going to defend yourself, Hook? You destroyed my family and you've got nothing to say?!" - Neal yelled furiously.  - "You know, his businesses went bankrupt soon after he's read your book and by the time he got institutionalized, I had to sell the rest of his assets to pay for a private mental health facility! Of course, I got fired from my job when my boss found out that my dad's a nutcase, and who would hire anyone with that kind of background?" 

 "I've been trying to make up for that for three years!" - Killian finally found his voice. - "I knew he's lost his money after the trial, and I was ready to cover the costs! I tried wiring payments to his account, even brought cash to the attorney directly, but I could never get through. The money either got sent back to me or the payments got rejected. I swear I'm telling you the truth, Baelfire!" 

"My name is Neal" - he hissed, slightly taken aback by Killian's confession. 

"I'm sorry, Neal" - Killian said placatingly. - "My real name is Killian Jones, not James Hook."

"I know that!" - Neal snapped. - "What are you even doing here? Playing with the minds of small town folk for your own amusement?" 

"Whale also needed me for... for something and I was dumb enough to buy into it" - Killian answered laconically, not wishing to go into details.

"And where do you get off cozying up to my ex-girlfriend?" - Neal taunted. Killian narrowed his eyes. 

"No offence, but I don't see how that's any of your business. Especially after all the crap you put her through" - he spoke coldly. Neal lunged to strike him. 

"Neal, stop!" - a female cry interrupted the scene, leaving Neal's fist inches from Killian's cheek. Both men turned to see a pale, puffy-eyed Emma Swan running towards the cell. Killian stood up immediately and slipped outside. 

"Emma, what happened?" - he asked anxiously. 

"Doesn't matter, it's fine" - she muttered. Killian frowned.

"Normally I'd be all for stewing in one's own emotions in solitude, but right now, it would be rather insalubrious of you, Swan" - he spoke, wincing when he saw how she was glaring at him. 

"Jones, I believe she said she didn't want to talk!" - Neal hollered. Emma groaned. 

"Shut up Neal. I know everything. And after this case is put to bed, I don't ever want to see you again." 

 

* * *

 

EMMA 

She locked the bathroom door and slid onto the floor. Killian's "what a day huh?" was an understatement of the century. In the last nine hours (it was almost 6 pm now), she has learnt that her former headmistress slash mass murderer was a literal Supervillain who apparently knew how to control people by ripping out their hearts, that that same Supervillain has erased the memories of Emma's parents and made sure Emma grew up alone, and on top of that her ex-boyfriend was in town and apparently conspired with her mentor.

How did August even pull this off? And what was "this", even? Why did he lie to Emma about not having any idea that Regina was in town? And how did he avoid lying to her about Neal and getting detected for an entire decade?

It was time to get to the bottom of this. And Emma was going to call August Booth right now. He answered on the third ring. 

"Hi Emma" 

"Neal's here" - she wasn't going to waste time on pleasantries. Long pause. 

"I see."

"August, I'm gonna need all the facts here! Do you and Neal know each other?"

"Emma..."

"Answer the fucking question Booth, or I'm never working for you again!"

"Emma, it's not as black and white as you think! Neither me or Neal wanted you to waste your gift on robbing convenience stores. We had to make sure that you'd use it properly..."

"Wait... So you're telling me that you and Neal both set me up and let me rot in jail for something I didn't do?" - Emma sat up, clutching the phone in her hand as though she might fall down if she didn't. 

"It was the only thing we could do, Emma!"

"You're such a fucking asshole, Booth" - she spat. - "How dare you? How dare you justify yourself to  _me?_!"

"Emma, I'm not going to apologise for getting you out of that life and being there for you when nobody else was!" - August was yelling now too. 

"Yes August! My life! You don't get to make decisions for me! That was MY life you robbed me of - it may have been a life of thievery and crime, but Neal was a home!" 

"He had a choice not to leave you - all I did was suggest that he does because of who you are and what you have! The world needed Emma Swan the Human Lie Detector, and a relationship with a deadbeat statutory rapist was..."

"It was not your relationship to end! It was MINE and Neal's!" - Emma had tears streaming down her face now. 

"He would have left you one way or the other, and deep down you know it!" 

She did. But it didn't make the betrayal any easier. 

"I'm done, Booth" - she spoke calmly, after a minute. - "As soon as Regina is behind bars, I quit." 

"Emma, please be reasonable! The world needs you!" 

"I am done being your Supersaviour, August. I can't work with someone I don't trust." 

"You still need me to take Regina down, Emma! And I don't keep my data on computers, so Ruby can't get it for you." 

Emma groaned. "Fine. Start talking and don't fucking lie to me this time."

She could hear him sigh. 

"Your friend Sidney is a good investigator, but some things are buried deeper than even he can find. Regina did a lot worse than just steal millions from various government and school budget. She also made sure that her deeds were never discovered."

"You mean she killed people who got in her way." 

"I guess so." - Either August didn't know about Regina's power or wasn't telling Emma that he did. - "Anyway, I first got a whiff of her a couple of years before she expelled you. A journalist called Daniel Stables was murdered under suspicious circumstances and the case went cold because Cora, Regina's mother paid off the M.E. to hide evidence, as I later found out. I've been tracking her since then and discovered that she used to receive bribes from a man named Robert Gold some time ago in exchange for some regulatory bodies averting their eyes from his business practices and stuff like that..."

"Robert Gold? As in Neal's dad?" - Emma interrupted, stunned. 

"Yeah. How do you... Never mind. Anyway, I looked into him and discovered that he had a kid called Baelfire. Took me a couple of years to find him and then I spotted him in Portland with a teenage blonde - you. I watched you two practice your superpowers together and realised that I needed you, Emma."

"So... what? You blackmailed Neal into setting me up?"  
"I told him that if he didn't make himself scarce, his father would go down and the whole world will know Neal Cassidy was actually Baelfire Gold. Needless to say, he was more than willing to comply." 

"You're a selfish lying coward, you know that?" - Emma hissed. 

"If it it selfish to want what's best for the world, then yes, I am selfish, lying coward" - August deadpanned. 

"Why didn't you tell me all of this before I came to Storybrooke? Were you that worried about me going off to try and find Neal? August, that was over ten years ago! I tried very hard to move on and I had no reason to go looking for him now!"

"I thought I could have Neal take Regina down on his own, but when I haven't heard from him for almost six years, I realised that I had no choice but to send you to Storybrooke."

Emma paled. 

"Did you say six years?" 

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason." - She wasn't going to divulge that a fire followed by a big memory wipe occurred at roughly the same time. 

"I didn't tell you because I didn't think you'd go if you knew. For that, I am sorry." 

"Go to hell, Booth" - Emma snapped and hung up.

 

* * *

 

As soon as Neal recovered from his surprise at Emma's deadpan remark, David and Mary Margaret walked back in, hand in hand and stopped at their tracks upon seeing everyone's facial expressions. Mary Margaret raised a hand that was holding a large paper bag with "Granny's" written on it and spoke uncertainly:

"We brought bagels?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahahahhaha I’m sorry I couldn’t resist the ending XD.
> 
> Hopefully the chapter clears lots of things up and here’s hoping I won’t have any more writer’s blocks! Reviews are, as always, my dinner.


	37. The Lighthouse to the Lost Sailor

"We need more drinks" - Killian proclaimed, standing up and walking towards the bar. Privately, Emma agreed. Mary Margaret and David exchanged a look but didn't object. 

"So this Gold guy was the owner of Gold's Hotels and Resorts that went bankrupt a few years ago?" - Belle clarified. 

"Yep" - Emma replied. "He was in rehab for a few years but then he apparently got out and died six years ago."

"And he went in rehab because of a writer who is fetching us drinks right now?" - Ruby added.

"Apparently. But before that, he spent some time in business with Regina in a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"And not to mention" - Killian added, returning to the table with a tray of glasses - "he also happens to be the father of your ex who is currently residing in a police cell"

"Which is exactly where he belongs" - Belle snapped. Killian sighed. 

"It's not that simple, love."

Emma looked away. She just spent an hour telling her parents and friends everything, starting from the day that she realised that Principal Mills was stealing. She was met with stunned silences, occasionally interrupted by angry exclamations from David, looks of disbelief and astonishments from Mary Margaret and those of admiration from Killian. The latter were particularly obvious when she spoke about the cases she solved. It was admittedly nice to be admired by someone who wasn't a traitor. 

"I know it's not" - David responded. - "We're gonna need you to tell us the whole story, Jones. Or Hook, whatever you prefer." 

"Killian will do." 

"Okay guys, let's all calm down and make a note of what we already know!" - Belle spoke softly, jotting down something in her notebook. - "Killian, tell us what happened with Mr Gold." 

Killian and Emma exchanged looks, Emma suddenly realising that neither Ruby nor Belle knew anything about his power. He gave her a tiny nod, indicating that it was fine. Emma filled them in quickly, enjoying the looks of surprise on their faces. 

"Are you basically saying that your power is the opposite of Emma's?" - Ruby asked. 

"Aye"

"Interesting..." - Ruby replied thoughtfully. - "And I'm guessing you used it on Mr Gold before?" 

"Not just Mr Gold - pretty much everyone who's read my books" - Killian said softly, not meeting anyone's eye. Ruby's jaw dropped. 

"Dude, that explains so much! No wonder I had dreams about Jewel for days after reading your books!" Belle nodded, writing in her notebook.   
"Anyway" - Emma interjected - "you used to publish as James Hook right? And Mr Gold read one of your books?" 

He nodded. "My very first one, "The Coward's Wife". He fell in love with the protagonist, Milah, and deluded himself into thinking that she was real"

"Poor man" - Mary Margaret whispered. 

"Go on" - David prompted.

"I first met him at a book signing in Scotland. He demanded to know how I met Milah" - Killian made air quotes with his fingers - "and asked to be introduced. I tried telling him that she was a fictional character and left soon after, but then he showed up at my hotel room. Apparently he could do that since his company owned it. It took a while but I eventually got him removed from the room." 

"Did you ever see him again?" - Belle asked. 

"Not in person. However, his name began popping up all over the press even more than usual, and my agent told me that he'd tried to contact The Jolly Roger - my publisher - a few times, and threatened to sue."

"On what grounds?" - Belle frowned. Killian shrugged.

"Not a bloody clue. When he failed, he attempted to buy the house, but they never accepted any offers."

"He wanted to buy the publishing house? Why?" - Mary Margaret asked. 

"I guess because he thought he could get information on the supposed whereabouts of Milah?" - Killian shrugged again, taking a drink from his beer bottle, Emma following suit. 

"What happened then?" - she asked. Killian bit his lip. 

"He ended up on trial eight years ago and was held to be insane" - he replied shortly. Emma pursed her lips. There was a lot more to the story that he was letting on. 

"Did you know about Neal?" - she asked, choosing not to press the issue for now. 

"Aye. I knew that he had a son, although I didn't know the name until today." 

"That's all well and good, but I'm still lost here" - Ruby piped in. - "How did he end up insane in the first place?" 

"I told you - it was a result of my book" - Killian snapped. Belle shook her head. 

"That doesn't just happen. People don't go insane because of something they read!"  

Killian tensed. - "They do if I'm the author, love." 

"That makes no sense!" - David exclaimed. Killian growled but said nothing, choosing to grab his beer bottle and walking out instead, with a brief "I need some air" thrown over his shoulder. 

"What's with him?" - Ruby turned to Emma with a questioning look. The blonde shrugged, having a pretty good idea what ticked Killian Jones off and fully intending to call him out on it in a minute. 

"I'll go talk to him" - she said after finishing her beer, and walked out. She spotted the dark figure sitting on the curb almost immediately. 

"I apologise for my abrupt departure, love" - he looked up to meet her eyes. - "I'm afraid the day has finally taken a toll on me."

Emma nodded. "I understand" - she spoke softly, taking a seat next to him. - "Are you OK?"

Killian chuckled. "I believe the vicissitudes you've experienced today mean that I should be the one asking you that question." 

She snorted. "Vicissitudes?"

"It means unexpected changes in one's life"

"Yes I know what it means" - she rolled her eyes at the writer. - "And I suppose you are right."

"So, are you OK?" - she could barely make out his concerned look in the twilight that was becoming thicker by the minute. She chuckled miserably. 

"I don't even know how to begin answering that question. Out of the two of us, you're the wordsmith. Any tips?" 

He shrugged. "As a writer, I do occasionally find myself in times of not knowing where to begin, develop or end the story. Nine times out of ten, I go back to what inspired the ideas in the first place. Maybe if you started with how you ended up in Storybrooke in the first place?" 

Emma bit her lip and looked down, her hair obscuring her face. She suppressed a shiver when she felt Killian's hand placing a thick lock behind  her ear gently. 

"It's funny you should say that. Two weeks ago, I had no family, no close friends except Ruby and Belle, a mentor whom I somewhat trusted when it came to the job, and Storybrooke was a town I've never even heard of until that mentor suggested that I take a case here."  
"And that case wasn't what you expected" - Killian teased sympathetically, nudging her with his shoulder. She made a face. 

"You could say that. I thought all I had to do was charm a doctor into revealing that he's been concealing evidence of his negligence which resulted in someone's death."

"Someone being the guy who was the Sheriff before Dave?" 

"Yeah. But I didn't know that at the time. The day I met you, I was supposed to go on an undercover date with him but we got interrupted because my... Mary Margaret woke up from coma."

"A coma which your old high school principal put her in" - Killian added. - "This must be ridiculously weird for you, love. I'm sorry."   
She shrugged. "I suppose I'm grateful that your part in all this makes sense, at least. And I'm sorry too." 

"About what, sweetheart?" 

"Your brother. I didn't get to say it earlier. I may not condone the method you've chosen but I can understand why you'd agree to go along with Whale's plan."

He nodded. "Thank you for saying that. I don't deserve it, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

Emma sighed, taking his hand in both of hers. He stiffened but didn't pull away. 

"Killian, none of this is your fault! You weren't to know what kind of evil Whale and Regina were up to and you certainly have nothing to beat yourself up over, trust me!" 

He chuckled bitterly. "Don't I? My power - my cause - caused a man's madness, Emma, and destroyed a family! I deserve to be locked up next to your ex-boyfriend for everything I put them through!" 

To his surprise, Emma scoffed. "You think rather highly of yourself, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" 

"You wrote realistic fiction as James Hook. Fiction is the key word here! People don't just go insane from reading a book, Killian. You didn't cause anybody's madness."

"Emma..."

"You may be a good writer, but you're not that good, superpower or not" - Emma snapped, releasing his hand. He frowned but dropped it onto his lap.

"Mr Gold was an excellent businessman before he read my book and started having symptoms of psychosis, which resulted in him losing most of his money. Are you really going to tell me that I played no role in any of that?"

"Yes Killian, I am. Having a power like yours means that you can persuade people that something is real, you told me that yourself."

"Aye, I did" - Killian said slowly. 

"And you use writing as a method of controlling it, is that right?"

"I do"

"So as I understand it, you're channelling your power when you're writing it. Killian, that's no different from a writer channelling his writing talent!" 

"Except in my case, the talent is tainted with that of being able to tell a flawless lie" - he spoke softly, unconvinced. Emma bit her lip and took his hands again. 

"Killian Liam Jones, listen to me. I've been hunting liars for my entire adult life. I know that there are many ways a person can lie..."

"Yes I know" - he interrupted. - "I have to live with that knowledge every single day" - he spoke darkly. 

"And in all these cases" - she continued as though she wasn't interrupted - "the liars were in control. They lied, stole, murdered, for their own benefit. I was a thief in the past, but I did that to survive. You write for the very same reason. I have no right to judge you for that."

"I don't understand" - Killian said slowly. - "I appreciate that, don't get me wrong, but what does it have to do with Mr Gold's madness?" 

"For you, writing is a coping mechanism, as well as a way to make a living. You are doing it for YOU and YOU alone. I'm not saying you don't love your fans, because I know you do, but ultimately, YOU are the one it helps the most. You don't write with the intention of persuading your readers that the characters are real." 

"No... but..." - he was at a loss for words. 

"So explain to me - how does a self-help method designed solely for you, have the power to turn another person into a psychopath?" 

Killian's blue eyes widened. He's clearly never considered that angle before in his life. 

"I can tell you with absolute certainty" - Emma continued, dropping Killian's hand - "you did not take away Gold's sanity. Whatever caused it, came long before you started publishing. Your book was merely a trigger. I am convinced that he would've reacted the same way to any realistically written, three-dimensional character." 

Killian gaped at her. 

"You didn't destroy Mr Gold's life, Killian" - Emma spoke softly but firmly, pressing her free hand to his stubbly cheek. He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes at her touch. She didn't pull away. 

"Emma?" - Killian whispered, the corner of his mouth coming into contact with her thumb. 

"Yeah?" - she whispered back. 

"Come here". 

His hand dropped from hers and he wrapped his arms around Emma, pulling her to him. She didn't resist; instead, she rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes  as he pressed a soft kiss to her head. 

"You're bloody amazing, Swan" - Killian whispered into her hair. She chuckled, hitting his chest with her palm lightly. 

"Not really" - she replied, her voice muffled by his coat.

"Yes really. I told you - you're like a lighthouse to a sailor lost in the night." 

She rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly, swinging her legs over. "Well this looks familiar doesn't it?" - she said, hoping to divert his attention from showering her with compliments. 

"Hmm?" - he nuzzled her shoulder. 

"This morning? And this afternoon?"

"Oh right" - he smiled, remembering their embrace under the bridge and the way they held onto each other at Regina's ice palace. - "I have to say, I would much prefer doing this somewhere warmer than a frozen room or outside on a winter morning." 

"Oh" - Emma frowned and tried to pull away, but his arms held her firmly in place. 

"I didn't say I wanted to stop, love. I have no complaints about holding you, believe me." 

"Good" - she nodded into his chest. - "Just so you know, I don't normally snuggle with people I've only known for two weeks." 

He smirked. "That's because you've never met anybody as devilishly handsome as myself." 

Emma swatted him again. "More like I've never met anybody who can actually understand what it's like."

He smiled, kissing her temple. "What's it like to be different and to know loss?" 

"Yeah" - she pulled away from his chest slightly to meet his eye, his thumb rubbing her jean-clad knee. - "Exactly." 

Killian smiled wider, although his eyes were glistening with tears underneath the streetlight above them. "Nor have I."

Neither of them could tell who moved first. 

"Emma" - he breathed out, his nose brushing hers. 

"Killian" - she whispered, closing her eyes. 

Despite the cold, Killian's lips were warm. At first, they were barely touching hers  as though he were afraid of something. Once he realised she wasn't pulling away, he tightened his hold on her and covered her mouth with his own. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it only took 37 chapters haha ;) Only a few left until the end and then I'm gonna edit and reload the whole thing :) Reviews are not only welcomed but encouraged!

**Author's Note:**

> So what do you think? A good start? Suggestions and reviews are welcome!


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